Family of Time
by JadeJedi
Summary: On the diamond planet of Midnight the Doctor sees a girl he thought had died in his arms. The Doctor's daughter is back, safe and sound, much to the amazement of her father. Now that Jenny and the Doctor are reunited, how will it effect the Doctor's life? Seasons rewrite.
1. Chapter 1

**So I loved Jenny in the Doctor's Daughter and I always wanted her to come back, so I wrote this. :) I love to hear what you guys think, so please don't be afraid to review. :D The prologue was hard to write, but it will get better the next chapter. :) Enjoy! **

**Disclaimer: I don't own Doctor Who. **

Prologue

Jenny walked through the building taking in the sight of yet another new planet. Midnight was by far the most beautiful thing she'd ever seen. Made entirely of diamond, the extonic plant was gorgeous.

She had reservations to go to the sapphire waterfall and she couldn't wait. It was a long ride, but from what she'd read, entirely worth it.

Jenny had been traveling ever since she had left Messaline and she didn't regret a moment of it. She'd gotten her hands on a Vortex Manipulator and she'd seen the rise of Empires and the fall of kings; she'd saved cities and civilizations, gotten arrested more times than she'd previously thought possible and, just as Donna had said, she 'd done a lot of running.

But of all the things she'd seen and all the people she'd met, she still hadn't run into the two people she'd been looking for since she'd 'died': her father and Donna. How someone could travel for a hundred seven years through time and space and not run into the Doctor stumped her. Sometimes she could swear she heard his voice in her head, but she had yet to find him.

Not too long ago in the fifty first century she had heard of a woman who knew the Doctor, a professor by the name of River Song but when she asked to meet with her the Professor had refused as soon as she'd heard Jenny's name. The only explanation she'd offered was 'spoilers'. That was twenty years ago and the woman's response still confused her.

Jenny shook her head. Now wasn't the time to mope about her dad. He would want her to enjoy her time on this brand new world. But even then for some reason her mind wouldn't leave the Doctor. Every day since she'd stolen that space ship she had searched for her dad. He still had so much to teach her about life, and about being a Time Lord, and maybe he never would. She often wondered if he thought about her as much as she thought about him.

Jenny looked at her watch and groaned. If she didn't hurry up the car was going leave. Sighing, she jogged to where she knewshe was supposed to board.

Almost there she froze in her tracks as she heard a voice call her name. _No,_ she thought, _it can't be. _Hardly daring to believe it she slowly turned to face the voice.

To her disbelief she saw her dad, just as she'd remembered him from a century ago, pinstripes, converse, and wild brown hair. She grinned widely at his look of utter disbelief.

She started running towards him and as she did she thought over the very distinct possibility that this was just a crazy, wild dream.

Once she got close enough she launched herself into his arms, wrapping her arms around him in a relieved embrace. _Not a dream. I can _feel _him. He's really here!_ "Dad," she whispered. After a few moments Jenny felt him return the hug.  
~~~~

The Doctor liked to believe that nothing surprised him. After all, nine hundred years of time travel gave him knowledge on everything he'd come upon in his travels. Almost everything, anyways. Because he'd previously thought holding his daughter who had died in his arms, who now seemed very much alive was impossible, but clearly the universe had a different definition of impossible, because here she was.

Even as all this went through his head the only words to escape his lips were, "You're alive!"

With her arms still wrapped tightly around his neck Jenny laughed. "I'm alive," she confirmed.

The Doctor stepped back to look clearly at his daughter and he stared at her with what he was sure was a dumbfounded expression as he realized not only was she was alive, she looked just the same, except she now wore a brown leather jacket along with her previous military outfit.

"You didn't even regenerate!" At her confused look he realized she probably didn't know what that meant. He shook his head and pulled out his sonic screwdriver and began scanning her. "Never mind that, I know you died. Well, obviously, you didn't, because you're here, but how?! What happened?"

Instead of answering him, because honestly, she had no idea, Jenny looked at her wrist and winced. She looked hopefully at her father. "By any chance, are you going to the falls?"

"Hm?" he said before looking up. "The sapphire falls! Oh, yes. Wait. You're going too?! Isn't that lucky! We can go together!" he said enthusiastically "Donna was going to come too," Jenny perked up at the mention of her friend. When he saw her eagerness he added, "Well, I wanted her to come, but she said no. Oh! I have to tell her you're here! Blimey, can you imagine what she'd do if I forgot to tell her?" he said as he rubbed the back of his neck.

Slightly disappointed, Jenny grabbed the Doctor's arm and began dragging him to the tour car. "Dad," she said, drawing out the word, "we're going to be late! She'll understand; c'mon on!"


	2. Midnight part one

**Wow you guys, than you so much for reading this story and reviewing it! I'm so glad you're enjoying it so far. :) I tried to make it interesting, but it's kinda slow until the knocking starts in chapter 3. Enjoy!**

The Doctor and Jenny took their seats. He was about drill her with questions but was stopped when the hostess stopped by their row.

"Here are the headphones for channels one through thirty-six." The Doctor smiled at her politely and handed the headphones to Jenny. As the hostess began handing more items to the Doctor more questions for Jenny piled up in his head. How is she alive? How did she get off Messaline? How long has she been on her own? Is she on her own? Was she looking for him? What had she been using to travel? And those were just the first ones!

Once the hostess handed him the last item she said, "I must warn you, some products may contain nuts." He heard Jenny hold back a laugh as he raised his eyebrows and responded, "That would be the peanuts." The hostess sighed. "Enjoy your trip," she said with a forced smile.

Before she could leave Jenny leaned over him. "It's going to be great! I've heard wonderful things about this trip," she said with an excited grin. Smiling at his daughter's eagerness he agreed. "I can't wait. Allons-y!"

The hostess turned back a little impatiently. "I'm sorry?" "It's French," he said with a small frown. How could she not have known that? It was a great word, after all. "It means 'let's go'," Jenny informed her, and Doctor smiled. See? His brilliant, clever daughter knew what it meant.

The hostess forced another smile. "How fascinating." She then returned to her job of handing out complimentary headphones. Two more people took the sears behind them; a kind looking older man and a younger, slightly nervous looking girl. The Doctor turned around shook the man's hand.

"Hobbs," the gentleman said. "Professor Winfold Hobbs. This is my fourteenth time," he said with a proud smile. The professor turned to shake Jenny's hand. "Fourteen!" she exclaimed, apparently impressed. "This is my first, though I don't know about my-" she paused and finished with, "brother," she said with a questioning glance toward her father. "Oh, it's my first time too," he stated, only mildly impressed with Hobbs.

The professor's friend looked up from her bag and shook Jenny's hand, then the Doctor's. "And I'm DeeDee, DeeDee Blasco," she said warmly. "Don't bother the pair!" the professor admonished. She frowned and sat down. The Doctor watched for a moment as Jenny smiled comfortingly at DeeDee before both Time Lords also sat.

The Doctor grinned happily at the thought of no longer being the last of his kind. His head that once only contained the voice of the TARDIS now another voice; Jenny's voice.

He turned and smiled quickly at the stern looking woman seated across the aisle from the, but she didn't respond. With a shrug, he turned toward his daughter. "How in the name of . . . whatever, did you get off Messaline?! More importantly," he added, "how did you get here?!"

She smiled easily. "Oh, when I woke up -and you weren't there-" she said interrupting herself with a teasing glare, making the Doctor wince slightly. If only he had stayed. _But that's not how you do things, _a small voice sneered. _You just turn and run, don't you?_

Choosing to ignore the voice temporarily, he continued to listen to Jenny explain, "I stole a one person shuttle. I travelled like that a bit before I came across a Time Agent, and I stole their Vortex Manipulator." She sighed happily. "It's a bit rough," the Doctor snorted in agreement. "but, it's wonderful, just traveling about, seeing things, getting into trouble. Not a bad life."

The Doctor laughed a bit. "Did you know that's how I started traveling too? I stole the TARDIS, with Susan, I'll tell you about her later; she was brilliant. Always meant to give her, I mean the TARDIS, back, but I never did." The Doctor asked another question to pull himself out of his nostalgia and memories.

"How old are you know, Jenny? It's only been a few weeks for me, but with time travel and all, I suppose you could be older than me! Though, I certainly hope not. I can't let my daughter be older than me, can I?"

Jenny smiled and shrugged. "I'm one hundred and seven." "One hundred?!" the Doctor squeaked. He sighed and ran his hand through his hair. She looked curiously at him. "How old are you, Dad?" "Oh, I'm pretty old. Over nine hundred." Jenny raised her eyebrows. "I'm I going to get that old?" she asked with a mixture of dread and curiousness. The Doctor nodded his head vigorously. "You'd better. I am not letting you die again."

His daughter smiled. "I'm so glad I found you. The Doctor, Jenny, and Donna, just as it should be," Jenny said, leaning back in her seat. The Doctor smiled, but couldn't help but add silently, _only missing Rose._

The looked up from their conversation as the hostess walked to the front. "Ladies and gentlemen, and variations thereupon, welcome to the Crusader Fifty. If you would please fasten your seatbelts, we will be leaving any moment." She then closed the doors and put down the shields.

The Doctor still had more questions for Jenny, but as the hostess continued to give instructions he decided they could wait. Right now he was going to relax and enjoy his first chance to experience a brand new world with his daughter.

* * *

Jenny watched as her father put on a pair of glasses and looked at the map of the route with interest. The driver helpfully gave details on the detour. She enjoyed watching her dad and gauging his reactions to different situations, just as she had when she had been first progenated. Just from that Jenny knew she could learn so much.

The car started up and she grinned at him in excitement and the pair of them watched as the rest of the tourists glanced at each other in a mixture of impatience and eagerness.

Once the car started up the hostess turned on the entertainment system, which consisted of music that made Jenny cringe, annoying and overly bright lights, and a cheesy cartoon. Choosing to ignore it, she turned to continue her conversation with her father, but when she looked over he was holding the sonic device she'd called a weapon on Messaline. He was pointing it at the screen with an expression of distaste.

Jenny couldn't help but laugh; not only because the awful music turned off, but her father now had a very smug expression on his face. The now flustered looking hostess came running up the aisle. "I do apologize, ladies and gentlemen and variations thereupon, we seem to have had a failure of the entertainment system."

"Oh," groaned the Doctor with feigned sadness. A woman several rows back actually looked seriously put out. Jenny raised her eyebrows as the woman said, "What are we going to do?" Like the 'entertainment' was a better option?! Though, her husband seemed to agree. "Four hours of this? Four hours of just . . . sitting here?"

_There is talking, _Jenny thought to herself. At the same moment her dad sat up on the arm of his chair. "Tell you what, we just have to talk to each other instead," he said, grinning widely. The others looked amongst themselves, giving each other looks that clearly said the idea was completely foreign.

Jenny laughed in amazement. "Oh, come on! It isn't going to hurt just to talk to each other!"

* * *

98 kliks later

The Doctor and his daughter were talking to a couple, Val and Biff, over the seats, as the couple told them a story. He and Jenny were listening intently to the funny tale of an abstract pool. By the end of the story both the Time Lords were laughing as well. The Doctor marveled at the fact that in his daughter's 100+ years, this was the first time they'd laughed together. He vowed to make up for that lost time with the rest of eternity.

* * *

150 kliks later

Jenny was talking to the dark haired boy, Jethro, while the Doctor was getting coffee with DeeDee. Jethro seemed nice enough, just a little bit . . . teenager-y. Along with an extra dash of moodiness. "Mum and Dad dragged me along. They are always visiting new planets. And if they go," he sighed, "I go too."

Jenny smiled sympathetically, though she really didn't get what was so bad about travelling the universe with his parents. They seemed nice enough. Jethro shook his head in exasperation. "And we don't do anything but this! Sitting on a bus, riding from one attraction to another." Jenny looked at him with disbelief. "You don't _do_ anything? No adventures, no danger?" She paused and considered. "I didn't know people traveled like that."

Jethro raised his eyebrows and went back to his headphones.

* * *

209 kliks later

Jenny watched her dad talk to a cold looking business type woman. "I'm with this friend of mine, Donna. She stayed behind at the Leisure Palace." He then gestured to Jenny. "My sister Jenny and I hadn't planned to meet up here, we just sort of . . . ran into each other." Jenny grinned. "You should have seen him. It was like he'd seen a ghost!" The Doctor shot her a look and she just grinned back at him.

She looked at the woman. "Are you here with anyone?" The woman shook her head. "No it's just me." The Doctor nodded in understanding. "Oh, I've done plenty of that, traveling on my own. I love it. But it's better with friends," he said grinning at Jenny, who smiled in return. When he looked away Jenny frowned. She had never considered that her dad had ever been alone. Though, it wasn't as if Donna could have been there for him for nine hundred years.

"I'm still getting used to it," the woman responded. She glanced up at the Doctor. "I've found myself single rather recently, not by choice." "What happened?" asked the Doctor kindly. "Oh the usual," she said with a shake of her head. "She needed her own space, as they say." She paused. "A different galaxy, in fact," she added with a bit of regret. "I reckon that's enough space don't you?"

Jenny watched with interest as the Doctor got a faraway look in his eyes. "I had a friend who went to a different universe," he stated. Jenny was a bit taken aback. What did that mean, 'a different universe'? Who left? Jenny decided she would save those questions for later.

The woman looked down at her food. "Oh, what this," she asked with a small smile. "Chicken or beef?" The Doctor looked at it dubiously. "I think it's both." Jenny laughed. She was suddenly very glad she'd eaten earlier.


	3. Midnight part two

251 kliks later

By now all the passengers were leaning over their seats watching Professor Hobbs with interest. The Doctor was proud to see that Jenny already knew most of this. She was very clever; the apple must not fall far from the tree, he thought with a grin.

"So this is Midnight," the professor said, gesturing to a diagram projected on to the screen. "Bombarded by the sun. Extonic rays, raw galvanic radiation. DeeDee, next slide."

As she did the Professor grinned. "It's my pet project. Actually, I'm the first person to research this," he said proudly. "Because you see," he continued, sitting down, "The history is fascinating. Because there is no history! There is no life in this entire system! There couldn't be." The Doctor was skeptical of that. No life, anywhere? How did this man know, anyways?

But the professor continued excitedly, "Before the Leisure Palace came, no one had come here in all eternity. No living thing."

"But how did you know?" said someone in the back. The Doctor turned around to see the teenage son of Mr. and Mrs. Cane shaking his head. "I mean," he added, "if no one can go outside?" The Doctor raised his eyebrows. Good for him, asking questions was good. Very important. Obviously, the boy's mother didn't think so. "Oh, him and his imagination," she said with a roll of her eyes, "here we go."

"He's got a point," the Time Lord interjected, and Jenny nodded in agreement. "Exactly!" Hobbs exclaimed, "We look at this world through glass, safe inside our metal box," he said standing up again, "even the leisure palace was lowered down from orbit. Here we are now, crossing Midnight," his voice dropped to a whisper, "but never touching it."

The Doctor could tell that Jenny had something to say, but he would never know what she was going to say, because suddenly the car shook and the Doctor could tell they'd stopped moving.

"We've stopped," said Mrs. Cane. All the guest began looking around. "Have we stopped?" she asked. "Are we there?" asked Mr. Cane in confusion. DeeDee shook her head. "We can't be. It's too soon." "They don't stop," said the professor worriedly, "Crusader vehicles never stop."

The hostess began moving to the front. "If you could just return to your seats; it's just a small delay," she said reassuringly. "Maybe it's just a pit stop" Mr. Cane said calmly. Of course the professor had to contradict him with, "There's no pit stops, and I should know, I've been on this expedition fourteen times," he said with a shake of his hands.

"Well, evidently we have stopped, so there's no point in denying it," snapped the blonde women the Doctor had been talking to earlier. The boy started laughing. "We've broken down!" "Not now Jethro," his mother said. "In the middle of nowhere," he said continuing gleefully, ignoring his mother's commands. "Jethro, stop it," Mr. Cane commanded.

Jenny opened her to say something to Jethro when the hostess calmly interrupted. "Ladies and gentlemen, and variations thereupon, we're just experiencing a short delay. The driver needs to stabilize the engines. Perfectly routine, if you could just stay in your seats," she continued.

The Doctor frowned. Something wasn't right. In fact, something seemed to be very, very wrong. He began moving to the cockpit, barely noticing that Jenny was following him wearing the same confused expression.

"I'm sorry sir, ma'am, if could just-" the Doctor pulled out his psychic paper. As he and Jenny walked into the cock pit the hostess continued to ask them to return to their seats, and the Time Lords continued to ignore her.

The driver looked at them. "Sorry, if you could-" he tried to say, but was interrupted by the Doctor's psychic paper. "Company insurance, let's see if we can get an early assessment." _Psychic paper,_ the Doctor thought,_ Jenny is going to need some of her own._

"So Driver Joe, what's the problem?" "We're stabilizing the engine feeds. Won't take long."

The Doctor shook his head. "Uh, no, 'cause that's the engine feed right there," he said pointing at a screen, "and it's just fine."

"But, that doesn't make sense. This is a micropetrol engine, right? You don't need to stabilize it," Jenny said with confusion. The Doctor grinned at her. "That's right, you don't. Sorry I'm the Doctor, this is my sister, Jenny. We're very clever. So, what's wrong?"

The man seated next to the driver shook his head. "We've just stopped. Look," he said motioning to the screens, "all systems, everything's fine, everything's working, but we're not moving!" The Doctor pulled out his sonic and scanned the controls. _Jenny needs one of these, too._

"Oh, you're right," the Doctor said curiously, "No faults." He turned to the second man. "And who are you?" "Claude," he said, introducing himself with a grin, "I'm the mechanic. Trainee."

"I've sent a distress signal," said Joe, "they said they'll send a rescue truck top sped." Jenny smiled in relief. "When will they get here? Can't take too long, right?" Joe nodded. "It'll take about an hour." "Well, since we're waiting, should we take a look outside?" asked the Doctor.

Jenny grinned. "Oh, I bet it's beautiful. Another brand new world." Her father grinned back at her and agreed saying, "Best part, isn't it?" She nodded enthusiastically.

Joe didn't look quite so enthused, though. "But it's one hundred percent extonic out there," he protested. "We'd be vaporized!" The Doctor shook his head. "Nah, those windows are made of finito glass; they'll give us a couple of minutes. Go on," he encouraged, "live a little."

With a shrug Joe raised the screen and a bright light filled the cockpit. "Oh, it's amazing," Jenny breathed in awe. The Doctor nodded. "That is beautiful," he said in agreement. It almost looked like a city made of diamonds; full of structures resembling skyscrapers and enormous towers of glittering jewels.

"Look at all those diamonds," said Claude in wonder, "poisoned by the sun. No one's ever touched them." "Joe, you said we took a detour," said the Doctor, still gazing at the diamond landscape. "Just about forty kliks to the west," confirmed Joe. "Has it been used before?" Jenny asked curiously.

Joe shook his head. "No, it's a new one. The computer automatically generated a new route." "So we're the first," said the Doctor, smiling. "No one's ever been here before," Jenny said excitedly, "not in all of history!"

Claude pointed at something in the distance. "Did you see that?" The Doctor and Jenny looked at the spot he was pointing to. The mechanic shook his head. "Never mind. Sorry." The Doctor looked at him. "What did you see?" He pointed again. "There on that ridge. A shadow, just-just for a second," he said nervously. "What sort of shadow?" the Doctor asked.

He tore his gaze away from the scenery at the sound of beeping. "Shields down," the driver said pressing a button. The screen started to lower but Claude's eye's widened, "Look, there it is, there it is! Over there, there!" he shouted, pointing to a spot in the distance. Before the Doctor could see anything the shield closed all the way, blocking their view.

"Could you see what it looked like?" Jenny asked urgently. Claude shook his head. "Just something sorta shifting. Something sort of . . . dark," he said anxiously. "It was running." The Doctor was beginning to get a very bad feeling about this. "Which way?" Claude turned towards him. "Towards us."

"Alright, Doctor, Jenny, back to you seat," said Joe harshly, with just a hint of nervousness. "And not a word," he added. "Rescue's on its way, if you'll close the door, thank you."

* * *

As soon as Jenny and the Doctor walked out of the cockpit they were met by the stern looking blonde lady. "What did they say? Did they tell you? What's wrong?" she asked anxiously. "Oh, just stabilizing," Jenny's dad said with a reassuring smile. "Happens all the time."

"I don't need this, I'm on a schedule; this is completely unnecessary," she replied angrily. "Back to your seats, thank you," said the hostess as she walked in to the cockpit. Jenny tried to reason with the woman. "The driver said it won't take but a few minutes; they're working as fast as they can," she said as they all went back to their seats. Jenny knew that was a lie, but the woman was frantic.

DeeDee leaned into the aisle and tapped the Doctor's shoulder. "Excuse me, Doctor, but those are micropetrol engines, aren't they?" Jenny closed her eyes for a moment. Of course, humans have to go and see through a perfectly good lie. Typical. "Don't bother the man," the professor scolded. DeeDee turned to face Hobbs. "My father was a mechanic." She turned back to the Time Lord. "Micropetrol doesn't stabilize. What does stabilize mean?"

Jenny sighed as she saw Jethro start to take interest in the conversation. "Well," the Doctor said, stretching out the word. "Don't worry about it. They're sorting in out."

The professor stood up. "So it's not the engines?" he asked with worry in his voice. "It's just a little pause, that's all," the Doctor said, brushing off the concern. Jenny felt warning bells go off in her head as she saw the rest of the passengers begin to listen into the conversation. "How much air have we got?" the professor asked fearfully. "Professor, it's fine," the Doctor said sternly.

"What did he say?" asked Mrs. Cane, beginning to panic. "Nothing," said the Doctor with a shake of his head. Jenny raised her voice. "He was just asking a question!" she exclaimed with exasperation. "There's no need to panic."

The hostess walked into the room and surveyed a situation that was quickly going downhill. "Is that right, miss?" called Mr. Cane, "Are we running out of air?" Jenny looked around and saw Jethro roll his eyes. Well it seemed like there were three passengers who weren't panicking. That was . . . something.

"If you could just remain calm," the hostess said running out of patience. "How much air have we got?!"Mrs. Cane demanded. "Mum, just stop it," Jethro said impatiently. "Everything is under control," the hostess said, trying to be reassuring.

Jenny surveyed the room, blocking out the voices of panicked passengers and realized there was another person who looked relatively calm. DeeDee. _She had seemed quite worried before, and if she wasn't now, there must be a reason, _Jenny mused. Her father tried to take control of the situation, but no one was listening. Jenny stood and sighed. Putting two fingers in her mouth she whistled sharply to get everyone's attention.

The room quickly got quiet. "Please everyone, just listen, just for a second," Jenny said with a small smile, "please just let DeeDee talk!" DeeDee looked up at her gratefully before standing up and looking around nervously. "Oh, it's just that, well, the air is on a circular filter," she said motioning with her hands, "so, we could stay breathing for ten years."

"There you go," said the Doctor calmly, "I've spoken with the captain, and I can guarantee you everything's fine." _Well, _Jenny thought, _there's nothing _wrong _with this bus, that's true. _

Everyone froze as they heard a noise coming from outside the bus.

_Knock, knock. _


	4. Midnight part three

**So I made the first 2 chapters too short, so I have to make up for it in these chapters which means this adventure will continue through chapter 5. In the future I'll make the chapters longer. :) Thank you everyone for reading, reviewing, and following this story. :) Please leave a review; I would love to hear your thoughts and opinions. :) Enjoy!**

Chapter 3

Everyone froze. "What was that?" asked Jethro's mother urgently. "Probably just the metal," said the professor dismissively, "we're cooling down. It's just settling." "Rocks," said DeeDee, "could be rocks falling."

"What I want to know is how long do we have to sit here?" asked Mr. Cane.

_ Knock, knock._

"What is that?" asked the stern blonde woman frantically. "There's something out there," said Mrs. Cane nervously. Jenny looked around. What could possibly be out there?

_Knock, knock. _

The passengers jumped in surprise. "Knock, knock," said the Doctor slowly. "Who's there?" asked Jethro, who in Jenny's opinion, was enjoying this way too much. "Jethro, this isn't funny!" Jenny snapped. In a situation like this it wouldn't take long for people to start panicking, and Jethro certainly wasn't helping.

"Is there something out there?" asked the blonde quietly. "Well? Anyone?!"

_Knock, knock._

"What the hell is making that noise?!" demanded the blonde. "I'm sorry," said the professor stubbornly, "but the light out there is extonic. That means it would destroy any living thing in a split second. It is impossible for someone to be outside."

_Knock, knock._

The passengers began getting out of their seats to get away from the walls. "What the hell was that then?!" the blonde woman demanded again.

Jenny watched as the Doctor pulled out a stethoscope and put it up to the wall. "Hello," said the Doctor quietly.

_Knock, knock._

"It's moving," said Jethro, this time without his previous glee. Jenny's father walked towards the back door where the noise was now coming from. Jenny froze as she heard a rattling sound. "It's trying the door!" Mrs. Cane gasped.

"There's no it," said the professor with exasperation, "There's nothing out there. There can't be."

The door rattled again. "Well," Jenny said running out of patience for the stubborn man, "maybe there _can_ be. We wouldn't know, would we? Because we _can't go out there._" No one seemed to be listening though, for just as soon as the words were out of here mouth, there was a noise on the ceiling.

_Knock, knock. _

_ Knock, knock._

The knocking had now moved to the door the passengers had entered in. "That's the entrance," said Mrs. Cane fearfully, "do you think it can get in?" "No," said DeeDee confidently, "That door's on two hundred weight hydraulics." "Stop it; don't encourage them," admonished the professor, who, Jenny noted was getting slightly frightened as well.

"Well, what do you think it is?" demanded DeeDee. Mr. Cane began walking up to the door. "Mr. Cane better not," warned the Doctor. Jenny really didn't like where this was going. "Everyone," she said in a loud voice, "please get _away_ from the walls." Mr. Cane did as he was told and backed away but not before knocking on the door three times.

_Knock, knock, knock. _

"Three times!" whispered Mrs. Cane. "Did you hear that?!" she continued, "it knocked three times!" "It answered," Jethro agreed grimly. "It did it three times!" finished Mrs. Cane fearfully. "Alright, alright, alright," said the Doctor stepping in front of the door. "Everyone calm down." "Yeah, but it answered," the stern woman said, pointing at the door, "it answered. It answered! Don't tell me that thing's not alive, it answered him!" Jenny walked up to the woman and laid a comforting hand on her shoulder. The poor woman was scared out of her wits.

_Knock, knock, knock. _

"I must insist you get _back_ to your seats!" said the hostess impatiently. "Don't just stand there telling us the rules!" the stern woman shouted, "You're the hostess! You're supposed to do something!"

Jenny was quickly becoming uncomfortable with the situation. She looked over to her dad and found him pressing his ear to the door. He knocked on the steel four times. Jenny held her breath and waited for a reply.

_Knock, knock, knock, knock. _

"What the hell is making that noise?" asked the stern woman in a quiet, panicky voice. "Make it stop," she pleaded, "make it stop. Don't just stand there looking at me; it's not my fault!" she finished.

Jenny stayed by the woman's side as everyone began talking over each other. For some reason this woman was absolutely terrified, completely beyond reason. "It's all right," Jenny said, trying to comfort her, "you'll be fine." Jenny had a feeling her words were having no effect on the terrified woman.

The knocking had now moved to the roof again and was slowly moving to the other end of the car. "It's coming for me," the woman said despairingly. "It's coming for me. It's coming for me. It's coming for me!" she continued over and over as she backed into the wall.

Feeling helpless Jenny walked over to where her father was standing looking equally helpless.

The noise continued to move closer and closer to the terrified woman. She screamed as the _thing_ made a dent in the door. "Get out of there," the Doctor shouted, trying to get pull her away, but the lights flickered out, the truck rocked back and forth, and sparks began to fall from the roof.

After only a few seconds of this the truck stopped rocking and everything went quiet, before the passengers started to groan and get up from their uncomfortable positions. "Jenny," she heard the Doctor say, "are you alright?" She closed her eyes. _Arms, legs, feet, hands, head, heart, lungs, eyes, ears: check. _"Yeah," she called, "I'm alright. You?" "Arms, neck, head, nose, I'm fine." They both stood up. "Everyone else?" he called.

He glanced quickly at the screen that had come back down before turning away and Jenny turned to see what he was looking at. At first it was the same thing as before, but then the screen went static, and the image changed to show the face of a blonde girl. Jenny stared at it for a moment. The girl was shouting something. Jenny's eye's widened. She was shouting _'Doctor!'_

Jenny watched for another moment before the screen went blank_. It was just a recording,_ she told herself. _It can wait 'till later. _She was snapped out of her thoughts by the bright light of a torch shining into her eyes.

The hostess handed everyone a torch and they all turned to look at where the frantic woman had been standing. Jenny suddenly realized that she had yet to say a word. She walked over to where Jethro was shining his torch. "Jethro, sweetheart, come here," said his mother with relief as she walked up to her son. "Never mind me," he said, brushing off his mother's concern. "What about her?"

The young Time Lord walked cautiously to where the woman was crouching, clutching her head. "What happened to the seats?!" exclaimed Mrs. Cane, "They've been ripped apart!" Jenny kneeled down next to the woman and tried to get her to uncover her eyes. Jenny's dad came up beside her and put a hand on the woman's shoulder. "It's alright, it's alright," he said quietly. "It's over. We're alright. The wall is still intact, see?" he said, shining his light on the door. Jenny realized with relief her dad was right; the door had a huge dent, but everything was fine.

The hostess was trying to call the driver over the intercom. "Claude?! Driver Joe, can you hear me?!" she asked in frustration. "I'm getting no response; the intercom must be broken," she said, walking quickly over to the other side. She pressed the button and as the door opened a blinding light filled the room and Jenny could hear the shrieks of the passengers. The hostess quickly pressed the button again and the door shut. "What was that?!" cried Mrs. Cane. "Have we lost the driver?" asked Mr. Cane nervously. "The cabin is gone," said the hostess numbly, as if she couldn't quite believe it. Jenny understood what she felt. Two men, lost. Two had been killed already, and Jenny was determined not to let there be a third!

The Doctor walked over to a small panel on the wall that had connected the main cabin to the cockpit. "Don't be ridiculous," scoffed the professor, "How can it be gone?" "But you saw it," exclaimed DeeDee. "There's nothing there!" added the hostess, "like it was ripped off."

"What are you doing?" Mr. Cane asked the Doctor, shining his light in that direction. "A little bit of light, thank you, molto bene," said the Doctor as he opened the panel using his sonic . . . whatever.

"Doctor," Jenny asked, "What kind of sonic device is that? I've never seen anything like it." "This?" he said, "It's a screwdriver. A sonic screwdriver," he finished proudly. Jenny laughed. "Why do you have a sonic screwdriver? What made you think 'hey, wouldn't this screwdriver be better if it were sonic'?" The Doctor looked up from his work and groaned. "Not you too. Jenny, we'll have this conversation later."

"Are you done talking?!" asked Mrs. Cane impatiently. "Do you even know what you're doing?" "Is it safe?" asked Mr. Cane, "The cabin's gone." "But the cabin can't be gone!" exclaimed the professor, still unwilling to believe.

"It's safe," said the Doctor, unaffected by everyone else's mindless bickering. "Any rupture would automatically seal itself." Jenny looked at him curiously. "How does it do that?"

He ran a hand through his already crazy hair. "Remind me to tell you later," he told Jenny.

He looked down at the wiring and Jenny could practically see her father's cheerful demeanor leave him. "It's like something sliced it off," he said quietly. "You're right, the cabin's gone."

"What does it do if it's separated?" asked the hostess nervously. "It loses integrity," said the Doctor grimly. Jenny gasped as she worked it out in her head. "They're dust!" she said, not quite believing it herself. Her father shot her a look. "I'm sorry. Jenny's right, they're gone." The hostess held back a sob. "The driver and the mechanic. But they sent a distress signal," he began, walking over to huddled group of tourists. "Help is on its way. They saved our lives; we are going to get out of here, I promise," he said fiercely.

"They're going to find us," Jenny said as cheerily as she could, "we're still alive. All we have to do is stay calm." The Doctor nodded approvingly. "Exactly." Jenny looked at the woman still cowering on the ground, she hadn't moved; she was just sitting there, clutching her head. "Doctor," she tried to interrupt him, but he continued talking to the frightened passengers. "Stay calm. Help _is _coming."

Jethro glanced over at the woman and said, "Doctor, look at her," the boy said with just a bit of fear in his voice. Finally, the Doctor turned around. "Right, yes sorry," he said upon seeing the state of the woman he'd been talking to not long ago. "Get a medical kit," he gently directed the hostess.

"I'm not sure what's wrong with her," said Jenny helplessly, "I've never seen anything like it." Jenny glanced at her again. She hated to see the woman like this; well, she'd hate to see anyone like this, but, still, the woman had seemed nice enough, despite being slightly stern and quite paranoid. "Why won't she turn around?" asked Jethro. No one answered.

"What's her name?" the professor asked the hostess. "Silvestry, Mrs. . . . Mrs. Sky . . . Mrs. Sky Silvestry," the hostess stuttered.

"Sky," Jenny said kindly, "Are you hurt? It's alright . . . whatever it was is gone now." "Mrs. Silvestry," said the Doctor cautiously, "can you hear me?" He crouched down behind Sky on the ground next to where Jenny was sitting. "Can you move, Sky?" he asked curiously. Jenny watched Sky intently, ready to react to anything Sky might do. "Just look at me."

Nothing. No reaction, whatsoever.

"That noise," said Jethro slowly, "that noise from outside." "It stopped," said Mr. Cane in relief. "Well, thank god for that!" Mrs. Cane exclaimed, not reassured. "If it's not outside anywhere," Jethro said nervously, "what if it's inside?" "Inside? Where?" asked Mrs. Cane frantically. "It was heading for her," the boy said, staring at Sky.

Jenny glared at him for a second before turning her eyes back to her father and Sky.

"It's alright, Sky," her father was saying, "I just want you to turn around," he said gently, "face me."

Slowly Sky lowered her hands from her head and ever so slowly turned around.

Her eyes were opened wide and unblinking. She stared at each of the passengers in turn, before her gaze rested upon the Doctor. He cocked his head and Sky mimicked his movement.

"Sky?" he said softly. For a moment it looked like she wasn't going to respond, but then she quietly repeated, "Sky?" "Are you alright?" he asked in concern. Again Sky repeated him, "Are you alright?" "Are you hurt?" he asked. "Are you hurt?" she parroted back.

"You don't have to talk," he told whatever was left of Sky. But she still repeated him. "I'm trying to help." Still, she copied his every word. "My name's the Doctor, and this is Jenny," he said nodding to where his daughter was watching their exchange intently. "My name's the Doctor, and this is Jenny," Sky copied.

"Okay, can you stop?" asked the Doctor. By now, the Doctor was more than a little worried about Sky. Or whatever was inside her. "Okay, can you stop?" she repeated. "Sky," Jenny said with concern, "let him help you," she urged. "Sky, let him help you," Sky repeated. "I'd like you to stop," said the Doctor firmly, but to no avail.

"Why's she doing that?" asked the professor. Sky whipped her head around to stare at Hobbs. "Why's she doing that?" she echoed. "She's gone mad," declared Mr. Cane grimly. She turned to stare at him. "She's gone mad." "Stop it," Mrs. Cane ordered. "Stop it," Sky repeated, turning to look at the speaker, still unblinking. "I said stop it!" Mrs. Cane pleaded. "I said stop it!" came the reply.

"I don't think she understands," said Jenny patiently. "I think she just echoes. That's all."

Mrs. Cane again ordered Sky to stop. "I don't think she can," said DeeDee. "I don't think she can." "I think Jenny's right," the Doctor said slowly, looking at Jenny.

"Stop it," said the professor, "this isn't funny." As expected, she repeated his sentence, word for word. The Doctor shushed the passengers and Sky copied that too.

"My name's Jethro," said the boy, grinning when Sky mimicked him. "Jethro, leave it," the Doctor ordered, "just shut up." "Jethro leave it, just shut up," Sky echoed.

The Doctor positioned himself so he was staring straight into her cold blue eyes. "Why are you repeating?" he asked. "Why are you repeating?" He considered for a moment, "What is that, learning?" "What is that learning?" "Copying?" the Doctor continued, "Absorbing?" only to be repeated each time.

The Doctor decided to test something. "The square root of pie is 1.772453850905516027298167483341, wow," he said in amazement as she repeated exactly what he'd said with no mistakes. "That's . . . impressive," said Jenny after a few seconds. "But that's impossible," breathed the professor. "But that's impossible!"

The Doctor saw Jenny roll her eyes. "Professor, it's not impossible; she just proved it," she said in exasperation. "Professor, it's not impossible, she just proved it."

Once again the passengers and the hostess began talking all at once and the Doctor and Jenny could only watch in amazement as Sky repeated every single word; never faltering, no mistakes. The Doctor could see that this bad situation, this very, very bad situation was about to get worse, if they didn't stop panicking. He tried to get them to stop, but they wouldn't listen.

The Doctor looked hopefully at Jenny, who was now standing by his side. She smiled and nodded before whistling sharply again to get their attention. The quieted down almost instantly. "Now," the Doctor started to say, but was interrupted by the sound of the lights turning on.

"That's the back-up system," said the hostess with relief. "Well, that's a relief," said Mr. Cane. "What about the rescue?" asked Mrs. Cane nervously, "how long's that going to take?" "About-about sixty minutes," the hostess said, regaining confidence. "May I suggest that we all just, calm down," said the professor, "this panicking isn't helping."

As the professor spoke, Jethro looked in the direction of Sky and the Doctor followed his gaze only to see that Jenny had also seen what he hadn't noticed. "Doctor," he said, staring at the now silent woman. "I know," the Doctor said solemnly.

"Doctor, now step back," the professor said, "I think you should leave her-" his voice trailed off as Sky started talking with him. Not repeating, but speaking _at the exact same time_. "alone," Sky finished with the professor. He stared at her. "What's she doing?" asked the professor and Sky in unison.

"How can she do that?" asked a very confused Mrs. Cane at the same time as Sky, "she's talking with you." Mrs. Cane suddenly realized that it wasn't just the professor Sky was talking with. "And with me," she finished with a gasp. "Oh my god!" she said, taking a few steps back. "Biff, what's she doing?" she asked her husband frantically.

"She's repeating," said Jethro, not taking his eyes off Sky, "at exactly the same time." "That's impossible," said DeeDee in wonder. "There's not even a delay," marveled the professor. "That is weird," said Jethro shaking his head.

"I think we should all be very, very quiet," said the Doctor quietly but sternly, "have you got that?" "How is she doing that?" asked Mrs. Cane, becoming very frantic as Sky continued to speak in unison. "Mrs. Cane, please be quiet." "How can she be doing that?!" Mrs. Cane shouted, "She's got my voice, she's got my words!" "Val, be quiet," her husband said gently, grabbing her by the shoulders. "Hush, now, hush." He looked at Sky in fear. "She's doing it to me!"

"Just stop, just stop it, all of you, please," ordered the Doctor urgently. The Doctor bent down next to Sky and Jenny did the same. "Now then, Sky," he raised his eyebrows, "are you Sky? Is Sky still in there?" Jenny moved closer and looked into her eyes. "Mrs. Silvestry," she said kindly, "can you hear me? Are you still there?" Sky said nothing other than to speak along with them.


	5. Midnight part four

Disappointed, Jenny moved back a bit to let the Doctor continue speaking to her. "You know exactly what I'm going to say," he said curiously, "how are you doing that?" He leaned back and Sky mirrored him. "Roast beef, bananas, the Medusa Cascade," he said, trying to throw her off. He leaned forward, continuing to look her in the eye. "Bang!" he said suddenly, but Sky still spoke at the same time as him. "Rose Tyler, Martha Jones, Donna Noble, TARDIS," he said as quickly as he could.

The Doctor could feel Jenny's eyes on him and knew Rose would come up later in their conversations. He held back a sigh.

"Shamble, bubble, dibble, dooble," he said speaking gibberish. He grinned. "Oh Doctor, you're so handsome, oh, thank you, yes I am," he finished with a smirk. Jenny rolled her eyes. Ignoring her he continued, "ABCDEFGHIJKLMNO-" he stopped abruptly and so did Sky.

Finally the Doctor decided he'd seen enough and he stood up, took a step back, and motioned for Jenny to do the same. "First she repeats, then she catches up, what's the next stage?" Jenny's eye's widened. The Doctor understood what she was feeling. There was many possible 'next stages' and none of them were particularly pleasant.

DeeDee, who up until this point hadn't said much, stood up. "Next stage in what?" she demanded. "It's not her is it?" asked Jethro, "It's not Mrs. Silvestry." It was a statement, not a question. Jenny shook her head. "No," she said remorsefully, "I don't think so." Mrs. Cane began to cry.

"I think," the Doctor began slowly, "the more we talk, the more she learns. Now, I'm all for education, but in this case," he shook his head, "maybe not. Let's just move back," he said looking away from Sky, "come on," he said herding everyone to the back of the bus. "Everyone get back, back as far as you can. You too, Jenny," he said. He had just found Jenny, he wasn't about to let her get hurt now.

"Doctor, make her stop," said Mrs. Cane tearfully. Jenny looked at her sympathetically. "He's trying. He would if he could," she said gently. "Back all of you, to the back." He turned to Mrs. Cane. "Stop looking at her." She nodded and turned away. "Jethro," the Doctor called, "you too," he said, motioning the boy over. "c'mon." He turned to the terrified group of passengers. "Fifty minutes; fifty minutes, that's all we need before rescue arrives." Jenny smiled reassuringly. "It's not like she can hurt us, she has our voices, but that's _it_. We're fine."

"I can't look at her," said Mrs. Cane, "it's those eyes." "We must not look at goblin men," said DeeDee. Everyone turned to stare at her. "What's that supposed to mean?" asked Mr. Cane warily. "It's a poem," replied the Doctor, "by Christina Rossetti." "We must not look at goblin men," repeated DeeDee, "we must not buy their fruits. Who knows upon what soil they fed," she continued to quote, "their hungry, thirsty fruits."

The Doctor shook his head. "Actually, I don't think that's helping," he said drily. "She's not a goblin, or a monster," said the professor reassuringly. "She's just a very sick woman." "Maybe that's why it went for her," said Jethro suddenly. "There is no it!" the professor exclaimed. Jenny made a noise of frustration. "Both of you, not helping!"

"Think about it though," continued Jethro, ignoring her, "that knocking went all the way around the bus, until it found her. She was the most scared out of all of us. Maybe . . ." he said slowly, "that's what it needed. That's how it got in." "For the last time," said the professor impatiently, grinding out each word through clenched teeth, "nothing can live on the surface of Midnight!"

"Professor, I'm glad you have an absolute definition of life in the universe, but maybe the universe has ideas of its own, hm?" The professor shifted uncomfortably. "Now trust me," the Doctor continued quietly, "I think there might be," he glanced at Sky, "some kind of . . . conciseness in Mrs. Silvestry, but maybe she's still in there; it's our job to help her."

Mr. Cane shook his head. "I'm not goin' near." "No, stay back," the Doctor agreed firmly. "She's going in stages," Jenny explained for her father, "first the repeating, now this. The next step might to become us." "The Doctor nodded. "And I don't want her becoming me, or things could get a whole lot worse," he said thinking of the TARDIS and the powers of a Time Lord.

"Doctor," Jenny sighed. He turned and faced her. "What? What did I do?"

"Oh, so you're so special," said Mrs. Cane indifferently. "As it happens, yes I am," he said matter-of-factly. "He's a soldier," Jenny said quickly, "a great one. It would be bad if something like that-" she said looking at Sky, "got their hands on his knowledge and his weapons." The Doctor glared at her. They had gone over this; he wasn't a soldier! "So, that's decided, we stay back and we wait. When the rescue ship comes we can get her to the hospital."

"We should throw her out," whispered the hostess coldly. The passengers looked at her in shock. "I beg your pardon?" asked the professor incredulously. "Can we do that?" asked Mrs. Cane. "Don't be ridiculous," warned the Doctor.

"That thing," said the hostess anxiously, "killed the driver and the mechanic, and I don't think she's finished yet." "She can't even move," the Doctor said angrily, pointing at the still copying, still frozen woman. "Look at her eyes!" exclaimed the hostess, "She killed Joe, and she killed Claude," she continued, her voice wavering ever so slightly, "and we're next."

Jenny took a step toward Sky, blocking the aisle, but still facing the passengers. "Don't you dare," she warned in a low voice. "He may be a great soldier," she said, nodding to her father, "but I'm even better. So don't. You. Dare."

"But she won't stop!" shouted Mr. Cane. He tried to walk up Sky, but Jenny wouldn't let him pass. "Just don't sweetheart!" cried his wife. "We can't throw her out," said Mr. Cane as he walked back, "we can't even open the doors." "No one is getting thrown out," the Doctor said glaring at him.

DeeDee pursed her lips together for a split second before saying, "Yes we can. There's an air pressure seal. Like when you opened the cabin door," she said turning towards the hostess, "you weren't pulled out; you had a couple of seconds. 'Cause it takes all of about six seconds to collapse. Well, six seconds exactly. That's enough time to throw someone out."

"Thanks DeeDee, just what we needed," said the Doctor calmly, though inwardly furious. "Would it kill her outside?" asked Mrs. Cane casually. The Doctor couldn't believe that these normal, seemingly peaceful humans were trying to plot the death of either a helpless woman, or a new creature. "I don't know," DeeDee said uncertainly, "but she's got a body now, it will certainly kill the physical form."

"No one is killing anyone!" said the Doctor, raising his voice. "I wouldn't risk the cabin door twice," said the hostess hesitantly, "but we've got that one. All we need to do is grab hold of her and throw her out," she finished desperately.

"Now, you listen to me," the Doctor snapped, "for all we know that's a brand new life form over there and if it's come inside to discover us, what's it found?" asked the Doctor, trying to make these unusually small minded humans see reason. "This little bunch of humans" the Time Lord said, "what do you amount to? Murder?! 'Cause this is where you decide. This is where you decide who you are," he said urgently, trying to make them see. "Are you going to be driven be fear?" Jenny added, "or are you going to do what's right?" she asked. "We all have a choice," she said glancing at the Doctor, remembering what he'd told her.

"Exactly, you have a choice! Could any of you actually murder her? Really?" he asked, making all the guests think for a moment. "Or are you better than that?"

"I'd do it," said the hostess with no hesitation. "So would I," said Mr. Cane. "And me," added Mrs. Cane determinedly. "I think we should," agreed DeeDee. "What?!" exclaimed the Doctor with surprise and horror. "I want her out," explained the student fearfully. "But you can't do that," the Doctor said, still in shock. "I'm sorry," she continued, "but you said it yourself, she's growing in strength!" "That's not what I said!" the Doctor said with a shake of his head.

"I wanna go home," DeeDee said in a quavering voice. "I'm sorry, I wanna be safe." "You'll be safe any minute now," the Doctor reassured her. "The rescue truck is on its way." "What happens then Doctor?" asked the hostess, "it they take that thing back to the Leisure Palace, if that thing reaches civilization, what if it spreads?" The Doctor shook his head, "'Cause when we get to the Leisure Palace I'll be there, to contain it."

"You haven't done much so far," Mrs. Cane accused. "You're just standing at the back with the rest of us." "He's trying to keep you people from becoming murderers!" cried Jenny defensively, "isn't that something?!" The hostess shook her head. "It's dangerous. It's my job to see that this vessel is safe. We should get rid of her," she said through clenched teeth.

"Now hang on," said the professor calmly, "I think we're all going a little bit too far," he said a bit nervously, obviously uncomfortable with the situation. "At last!" the Doctor cried in relief. "Thank you," he said putting a hand gratefully on the man's shoulder.

"Two people are dead!" the hostess exclaimed, losing her patience. "Don't make it a third," the Doctor growled. He turned to the one person who hadn't said a word during the whole argument. "Jethro, what do you say?" he said, trying not to lose his temper. "I'm not killing anyone," the teenager stated quietly.

"Don't listen to him," said his mother, "he's just a boy," she sneered. "So I don't get a vote?!" he exclaimed indignantly. "There isn't a vote!" the Doctor exclaimed frantically. "There will be no vote and no killing," Jenny said firmly. "But you said you were a soldier," exclaimed DeeDee, "isn't that what they do?"

"No!" she cried in exasperation, "we fight. It doesn't matter if we fight using weapons, or words, or books, but we fight for our cause. And right now," she finished, "this is mine. If you want to throw her out, you have to get through us." DeeDee nodded silently, and for the first time the Doctor knew what his daughter meant when she called him a soldier, and for the first time, he didn't mind quite so much.

* * *

Still standing resolutely in the middle of the aisle, Jenny watched as her father stared at the passengers, waiting for a response. "Okay," said the hostess boldly. "Fine by me," said Mr. Cane. "Oh, now you're being stupid!" exclaimed the Doctor, taking a step closer and looking the man in the eye. "Could you actually take hold of someone and throw them out of that door?" the Doctor asked in frustration. "You calling me a coward?" Mr. Cane challenged. "Who put you in charge anyway?" asked Mrs. Cane.

"I'm sorry, you're a doctor of what, exactly?" "He didn't even book," said the hostess bitterly, "the rest of you had tickets in advance, even her," she said motioning to Jenny, "he just turned up out of the blue." Mrs. Cane looked at the hostess in shock. Right, like that was so terrible. They were the ones trying to commit murder! "I invited him last minute," Jenny said trying to make up a lie on the go, "he's with me, he's fine," she said, trying to reason with them.

"Where from?" Mrs. Cane asked. "Uh, I'm travelling, I'm a traveler, that's all," he said defensively. "Like an immigrant?" asked Mrs. Cane suspiciously. Jenny rolled her eyes. Her father seemed to be saying all the wrong things.

"Who were you talking to? Before you got on board, who were you were talking to someone, who was that?" demanded Mr. Cane. "Donna," Jenny exclaimed, "she's a friend. They travel together," she said, trying to remain calm as she defended her father. "What were you saying to her?" asked Mr. Cane and the passengers grew even more suspicious. "He was letting her know he was coming with me!" Jenny lied again, raising her voice.

"He hasn't even told us his name," Mrs. Cane added. "Yes, 'Doctor'," said Jethro slowly, "you've been loving this. So have you," he said staring at Jenny, "you said so before, about the adventures and the danger." Before the Doctor could make them even more suspicious Jenny shouted, "Loving this! Jethro, people are threatening to commit murder! Two people have died already! How could we be enjoying this?!" She lowered her voice. "We love adventure and danger and the running, sure, but not like this," she said feeling helpless, "not when people die!"

"Exactly," the Doctor said with relief evident in his voice, "and, alright, I'm interested," he admitted, "yes, I can't help it. 'Cause whatever's inside her is brand new and that's fascinating." "See?" said Jenny hopefully, "it's the new life we find interesting, not the death."

"But you two were talking to her, all on your own, before all of this trouble," Mr. Cane said accusingly, "you two were talking to that Sky woman. The three of you together, I saw it!" Jenny finally moved from her spot in the aisle and walked up to Mr. Cane and stared at him. "Do you think that matters?" she asked in disbelief, "Just talking? Like Jethro said, that's not Sky anymore. That," Jenny said regretfully, "is not the lonely woman we we're talking to before."

To Jenny's relief the people stopped hurling questions at them, and the stood in silence with Jenny leaning against her father.

"You called us humans," Jethro said slowly, "like you're not one of us?" His mother's eye's widened, "He did, that's what he said!" Before the passengers could restart their interrogation Jenny laid a hand against her second heart. "We're not humans," Jenny said "but who cares? You see aliens all the time! You don't see us panicking when we're around you," she said with forced laugh.

"Then what are you?" demanded Mr. Cane. "Time Lords," said the Doctor quietly. DeeDee looked at them in amazement while the others looked at each other with a mixture of fear and confusion. "I read about them once, but I thought you were extinct," the young student said in shock, "Time Lords disappeared ages ago!" Jenny hugged her father, remembering what a touchy subject this was for him.

"We're the only ones left," he said dejectedly, "that's why we travel. No place to come home to."

There was another period of silence and just for a moment Jenny thought everything was going to be fine.

"I still say we throw her out," stated Mr. Cane, "and those two, if we have to." Jenny's eyes widened. "Right, sorry, yes, just hold on, just," stuttered the Doctor, "I know you're scared. We are too, look at us, we are too, but we have all got to calm down and cool off, and think!"

To Jenny's complete and utter relief, at this point no one seemed to agree with Mr. Cane. Except maybe Mrs. Cane. She just had to make sure nothing happened to make them change their minds. Being tossed out of a bus by a bunch of tourists was not how Jenny had planned to die.

"She's still a danger," Mr. Cane said urgently, "she needs to go. And if these two Whatever Lords, too, if that's what it takes." "Mr. Cane," Jenny said gently," "my brother Jack and I want to get out of this without any more deaths. Please."

"You still haven't told us you're full names," the professor said, the voice of reason no longer being reasonable. "Jack Harkness," Jenny said in exasperation, "and I'm Jenny Harkness," she said, hoping it would appease them. She felt her father stiffen.

"Look at her," said Jethro, pointing at Sky. Jenny realized with relief that Sky had stopped repeating.

But . . . what about the next stage?

"She stopped," said DeeDee hesitantly, as if afraid to see what Sky might do. "When did she-" the Doctor started, but stopped when Sky continued to speak in unison with him. Jenny's hearts plummeted.

"No she hasn't; she's still doing it," the Doctor said in confusion.


	6. Midnight part five

"No," said Mrs. Cane insistently, "she's stopped! Look, I'm talking and she's not!" "What about me?" asked Mr. Cane. Sky did nothing. "Look, look at that," he said happily, "she's not doing me; she's let me go!" "Mrs. Silvestry," said the hostess hesitantly. She sighed in relief when she realized Sky stayed quiet, "Nor me."

"Sky," said the Doctor quietly, staring intently at the woman. "Sky," she said at the exact same time. "What are you doing?" he asked with Sky still speaking in unison. "She's still doing him," said DeeDee in fear as she walked forward.

Jenny walked over her father. "Is she still doing me?" she asked curiously, but Sky stayed silent. "No," said the Doctor with a bit of relief in his voice.

"Doctor, it's you," stated the professor, "she's only copying you." Jenny felt anger boiling up in her when she realized that his voice held no concern, or sympathy, or fear for her father, only relief that he was free. She took a deep breathe. Selfishness wasn't the issue now.

"Why me?" demanded the Doctor, walking closer to Sky, "Why are you doing this?" "She won't leave him alone," said Mrs. Cane said in amazement, "I said so, she's with him!" "They're together," agreed Mr. Cane grimly. "How do you explain it, Doctor?" asked the professor. "You think you're so clever?" "I don't know," said Jenny's father harshly. "Sky, stop it," he ordered. "I said stop it, just stop it," he said angrily.

Jenny grabbed her father's arm to stop him from going closer. "Doctor, don't," she pleaded. He looked at her comfortingly and stepped forward anyway.

"Look at the two of them," sneered Mrs. Cane. Jenny looked at them. "Yes! Look at them!" she exclaimed in exasperation. Do they look like friends to you?" "Does it matter?" asked DeeDee quietly, "she still won't let him go."

"Mrs. Silvestry, I'm trying to understand," he said bending down, "You've captured my speech, what for? What do you need?" He asked still trying to understand the creature. "You need my voice in particular, the cleverest voice in the room." Mrs. Cane laughed in disbelief, "what makes you so much better?!" The Doctor ignored her and Jenny said nothing.

"Why," continued Jenny's father, "'cause I'm the only one who can help? Oh, that can't be true," he said quietly, "because Jenny's here, and the professor, and these people can all help. Besides, your eyes, they're saying something else. Listen to me," he said with a harsh, but urgent voice, "whatever you want, if it's life or form, or consciousness, or voice, you don't have to steal it! You can find it without hurting anyone, and I'll help you," he stated, "that's a promise. So," he asked, "What do you think?" "Do we have a deal?" asked Sky and was echoed by the Doctor.

Jenny gasped. "Doctor!" She said rushing over to her father. "Hold on," said DeeDee, "did she just-" "She spoke first," confirmed Jethro. "She can't have," said Mrs. Cane in shock. "But she did," said the professor quietly. "She spoke first," repeated Jethro, in a tone that said he didn't quite believe it.

"Oh look at that," said Sky smiling, in a voice that didn't quite sound normal, "I'm ahead of you." Jenny knelt by her father and saw a blank look on his face as he repeated emotionlessly, "Oh look at that I'm ahead of you." "Dad," she whispered, "are you alright?" Jenny got no reply.

She put her hand to her forehead as she suddenly got a blinding headache. She closed her eyes. It felt like something had been ripped out, like some sort of connection had been broken, and it _hurt. _"She spoke before he did!" exclaimed the professor, "Definitely!"

Trying to ignore the headache, Jenny looked into her father's eyes and she wasn't sure whether to feel relieved or frightened when she saw that the Doctor didn't have the same cruel gleam Sky had had.

"He's copying her," said Jethro fearfully. "Doctor," demanded the professor, "what's happening?" "I think it's moved," said Sky slowly. "I think it's moved," said the Doctor, shaking. Jenny's headache pounded in her head, getting worse when Sky spoke.

"I think it's letting me go," declared Sky, and still the Doctor echoed her. "What do you mean?" asked DeeDee suspiciously, "Letting you go from what?" "He's repeating now," said Mr. Cane confidently, and Jenny was in too much pain to contradict him. "He's the one doing it, it's him," he finished. "There separating," breathed Jethro.

"Mrs. Silvestry," asked the professor hopefully, "is that you?" "Yes, yes, it's me," she said slowly with the Doctor still echoing, "I'm coming back! Listen, it's me!" "It's passed into the Doctor," said Jethro nervously, and Jenny shakily stood up and put a protective arm on her father. "No . . . it hasn't!" she said through clenched teeth.

"Yes it has," Jethro insisted, "it's transferred. Whatever it is, it's gone inside him." "No," disagreed DeeDee quietly, "that's not what happened. "Listen . . . to DeeDee!" Jenny said as loudly as she could with the throbbing headache. Jenny knew her father wasn't being possessed, he wasn't acting like Sky had at all, except for the copying. Something else was happening to him: Sky was stealing his voice.

"But look at her," said Mrs. Cane, obviously not agreeing with DeeDee. "Look at me," Sky said softly, "I can move," she breathed, marveling at her hands and fingers as the Doctor copied her words, still frozen in place. "I can feel again," said Sky in relief, "I'm coming back to life! And look at you," she said looking at the Doctor is disgust, "he can't move. Help me" she pleaded to the passengers, "Professor, get me away from him," she continued in her soft voice. "Please," she begged. "No!" said Jenny, "leave . . . her . . . there!"

The professor quickly walked over to the woman and avoided going near the Doctor. He reached out his arms and helped Sky onto her feet. "Oh, thank you," she said gratefully. "They've completely separated," declared Jethro. "It's in him now," agree his father, "you see, I said it was him all along."

"She's free," said Mrs. Cane in relief, "she's been saved!" "Oh, it was so cold," said Sky shaking her head, "I couldn't breathe. I'm sorry," she said sadly, "I must have scared you so much." Mrs. Cane hugged her comfortingly, "No, no, it's all right, I've got you, there you are my dear, it's gone, everything's fine."

"I wouldn't touch her," said DeeDee uncertainly. "It's gone," Mr. Cane explained impatiently, "she's clean, it passed into him." "That's not what happened!" insisted DeeDee. "Thank you for your opinion," said the professor angrily, "but clearly Mrs. Silvestry has been released," he declared happily.

"No!" exclaimed DeeDee. "Just leave her alone," Mrs. Cane said, defending the woman she'd wanted to throw out just minutes before.

"She stole his voice," Jenny said slowly, still clutching her head in pain. "No, she's safe," said Mrs. Cane, "isn't she," she asked her son, sounding unsure of herself, "Jethro, it let her go, hasn't it?" "Think so, yeah," said Jethro slowly, "looks like it," he added, looking warily at Sky. "Professor?"

"Well," he said confidently, "I'd say, from observation, the Doctor can't move, and when she was possessed," he said looking at Sky, "she couldn't move, so-" "Well, there we are then," stated Mr. Cane, "Now the only problem is this Doctor and his sister."

"It's inside his head," said Sky, not really sounding sad at all, "it killed the driver, and the mechanic, and now it wants us," she said turning to face the quaking Doctor with a small smirk. "He's waited so long," Sky continued, "in the dark, and the cold, and the diamonds, until you came," and Jenny noted her use of the word 'you' instead of 'we', "bodies so hot, with blood, and pain."

"Make it stop," pleaded Mrs. Cane, looking at the Doctor, "please, someone make it stop!"

"But she's saying it!" insisted DeeDee again. "You can shut up!" Mrs. Cane snapped. "But it's not him; it's her! He's just repeating." she protested again, trying to make the passengers see. "But that's what the thing does," argued Mr. Cane, "it repeats."

"Let her talk," ordered the hostess. "What do you know?" Mr. Cane snapped, losing all patience, "fat lot of good you've been." "Just let her explain," insisted the hostess.

"I think," started DeeDee, "I mean from what I've seen, it repeats, then it synchronizes, then it goes on to the next stage, and that's exactly what the Doctor said would happen!" "What, so you're on his side?" asked Mr. Cane harshly. Jenny locked eyes with DeeDee just for a moment. DeeDee didn't say anything for a second, but thought for a moment. "Yes," she said finally, and Jenny wanted to shout with glee. "He's not dangerous; he's only the last of his kind," DeeDee tried to explain.

"The voice is the thing," declared Jethro. "And she's the voice!" DeeDee exclaimed. "She . . . stole it," Jenny said concentrating, "I can feel it . . . in my head. I think . . . we're . . . connected," she continued in a pained voice, glancing down at her father, "and I can feel it. She . . . stole his voice." "That's ridiculous," scoffed Mrs. Cane.

"But look at her," demanded DeeDee, "it's not possessing him; it's draining him!" "She's got his voice," the hostess said so quietly Jenny could barely hear. She didn't think anyone else had heard.

"That's not true, it can't be, because I saw it pass into him," Mrs. Cane said quickly, her voice getting louder, "I saw it with my own eyes." "So did I," declared Mr. Cane. "But you didn't!" exclaimed DeeDee. "It went from her to him," said Mrs. Cane a bit angrily, pointing at the Doctor. She glanced at her son. "You saw it, didn't you?" Jethro shook his head helplessly, "I don't know." Mrs. Cane glared at him. "Oh, don't be stupid, Jethro, of course you did!" "I suppose," he said reluctantly.

DeeDee again tried to convince them, and again the passengers ignored her. Jenny was getting even more worried. With this headache she wasn't sure how well she could defend her father, the man she finally found.

The passengers continued arguing amongst themselves. "That's how he does it," said Sky with a smile, "he makes you fight. Creeps into your head, and whispers. Listen. Just listen," she continued, closing her eyes. That's him." Before Sky continued Jenny shouted. "No, it's not! It's . . . your fear . . . don't listen to her!"

"Do something!" shouted Mrs. Cane to her husband. For a split second, Jenny thought they understood. But then she pointed to her father. "Do something!" she repeated frantically. "I will," declared Mr. Cane, "you watch me! I'll throw him out!" he said coldly.

Jenny stepped in front of him. "No, you . . . can't! I won't let you," she said trying to be as intimidating as possible while dealing with an excruciating headache. "Dad," Jethro said cautiously, "I thought we weren't going to do this." "But he's possessed; he has to go!" Mr. Cane protested. "I'm telling you," said DeeDee urgently, "he's not possessed!"

"Yes!" said Sky, "throw him out! Get rid of him! Now!" Mr. Cane walked closer and Jenny tried as hard as she could to stop him, but she just couldn't. "Professor," said Mr. Cane sharply, "Take her." The professor's eye's widened. "But-I" "Just do it!" snapped Mrs. Cane frantically. "No!" Jenny ordered, beginning to panic herself, though for a different reason. "Don't touch him!" she shouted.

Mr. Cane bent down and tried to grab the helpless Time Lord. Jenny fought harder against the professor. She wasn't going to let an old professor stop her from saving her dad! "No!" shouted DeeDee, who was almost as distressed as Jenny. "Shut up or it'll be you two next!" snapped Mrs. Cane.

"I don't think we should do this!" shouted the hostess as she ran up to Mr. Cane. "It was your idea," Mr. Cane said, as if that was an excuse. "Stop it, Mr. Cane! You're being stupid!" yelled Jenny angrily, "Let him go!" "Val," he ordered, "help me out." Mrs. Cane hesitated for a moment before walking forward and moving one the Doctor's feet that had gotten stuck on a chair.

"Cast him out," Sky encouraged, and the Doctor continued to repeat her every word, "into the sun, and the night. Do it. Do it now. Faster. That's the way. You can do it! Molto bene!" And just for a moment Jenny stopped struggling in shock as Sky said her father's favorite Italian phrase and prayed someone noticed. "Allons-y," she continued with a smirk.

Jenny's prayers did not fall on deaf ears, because the hostess stared in shock. "That's his voice!' she cried. DeeDee and Jethro were panicking, helpless, not knowing what to do, and Jenny was still unable to fight both her headache and the professor. "She's taken his voice!" continued the hostess frantically. "It's her," the hostess said, finally realizing the truth.

Jenny could see what was going to happen, she screamed again at Mr. Cane, for she knew she had no way to stop it. "She's taken his voice!" the hostess shouted one last time, grabbing Sky and pushing the button to the other door.

Once again the bright light filled the room, and Jenny closed her eyes on the count of six as the hostess and Sky flew out of the bus. She couldn't watch. She should have prevented it. The death of two more. She'd sworn not to let anyone else die, but they'd lost two more lives. The door shut quickly.

To Jenny's relief the Doctor gasped and fell to the ground. The professor finally let her go and she knelt down beside him, the headache now gone.

* * *

The Doctor was panting heavily as he lay on the ground. "Are you okay?" he heard Jenny asked urgently. "It's gone," he whispered to himself. "That's right, it's gone," his daughter said soothingly. "It's gone, it's gone, it's gone," he reassured himself as he rolled onto his back. "Jenny?" he asked in concern. _They had better not have laid a hand on her,_ he thought to scooted over so she was closer to her father. "Yes?" "Are you alright?" he asked quietly. "Yes," she said with a small smile, "I'm fine." He smile back at her, just a bit, because he was so relieved, so incredibly relieved she was okay.

All the other passengers were also breathing heavily, some in relief and some in shock.

With some help from Jenny he managed to sit up and she sat next to him, looking at him with concern. She buried her face in his shoulder and the Doctor so badly wanted to ask what had happened, but he thought best to leave it for now.

"I said it was her," said Mrs. Cane, and the Doctor felt Jenny stiffen. He just looked at her, knowing that she was just trying to make herself look good. Mrs. Cane lowered her eyes in shame.

20 minutes later

* * *

For the last twenty minutes everyone had sat in silence, not moving, not talking until the rescue vehicle came. "Repeat, Crusader Fifty rescue vehicle coming up alongside in three minutes," said a voice over the intercom. "Door seals seat to automatic," the voice continued, breaking the silence, "prepare for boarding. Repeat, prepare for boarding."

"The hostess," the Doctor said, realizing that no one had asked, "What was her name?" The passengers looked at each other and shook their heads. "I never even thought to ask," said Jenny quietly and regretfully. "I don't know," said the professor.

Back at the Leisure Palace

* * *

Jenny walked out of the bus with her father's arm still wrapped around her shoulder. Donna was there to meet them and seeing Jenny her face broke into a huge, slightly confused grin, but it faded as she saw the mournful expression they wore. "But . . . how?" she asked in confusion. Jenny gave her a hug, taking comfort in her familiarity, despite not having seen her in a century. "Later," she whispered. Donna nodded and then hugged the Doctor comfortingly and tightly.

A bit later

* * *

The three friends were sitting at table, telling Donna their story: about Jenny, and the knocking, and Sky, and the hostess in the most detached way possible. "What do you think it was?" Donna asked after they had finished.

The Doctor sighed. "I don't know," he said with a shake of his head. This was an unusual day for him. First he comes up on something he'd previously though impossible, then he comes across something he doesn't know about. "Do you think it's still out there?" Donna asked in concern. The Doctor said nothing, because, again, he just didn't know. Jenny remained silent also, but she seemed to be no worse for wear. Though, the Doctor could tell it had had an impact on her to see that side of people; to see the frightened side that lashes out first chance it gets.

"Well you'd better tell 'em" said Donna, "this lot." "Yeah," the Doctor said in agreement, rubbing the back of his neck, "they can build a Leisure Palace somewhere else. Let this planet keep on turning around an extonic star. In silence." The Doctor may not have known what that creature was, but he didn't want anyone else have to figure it out themselves.

"Can't imagine you without a voice," said Donna with a small smile, trying to cheer him up. The Doctor grinned at her efforts. "Molto bene," he said. "Molto bene," Donna agreed. Jenny smiled a bit at that, but the Doctor just shook his head. "No, don't do that. Don't."

And so ended the first adventure of the Family of Time.


	7. Turning Points

**This chapter was supposed to be a short interlude, but it sort of . . . got away from me. The conversation between Jenny and the Doctor is rushed, I know, but I didn't want to make it any longer. I'll probably put the extended version in a one-shot someday.**

** Enjoy!**

After having a quick (long and drawn out) chat (argument) with the managers of the Leisure Palace the Doctor decided it was time for Jenny to meet the TARDIS. He and Donna led her to the storage closet where he had parked her, as he obviously couldn't park her on the planet's surface.

"Why are we here in the basement? It's just maintenance down here," Jenny said in confusion, glancing around at the cold cement walls. "Jenny," the Doctor said with a grin, "you know how I told you I travel in time and space?" "Of course," said Jenny, "that's why I started traveling." "Well, my ship is parked right in there," he said nodding to a door that read CLEANING SUPPLIES.

"What? In there?!" asked Jenny with a disbelieving smile, "How can a ship fit inside that?" "Oh," said Donna, "didn't we tell you? It's just a little blue box," she said with a knowing smile, and the Doctor could tell it only served to confuse the girl.

The Doctor walked up to the door of the closet and unlocked it with his sonic screwdriver; he hadn't wanted anyone finding the Old Girl, so he had locked it before leaving. He opened to door and Jenny stared the beautiful blue police box. "A police box," she exclaimed with a disbelieving smile, as the Doctor unlocked the door, "I've seen these things before, on Earth in the twentieth century. What's it doing here?" she asked, turning to her father.

The Doctor smiled. He couldn't wait to see the look on her face! "Why don't you go in and see?" Jenny looked at him uncertainly. "Go on," Donna urged, "You'll love it," she said, looking affectionately at the ship. Jenny hesitantly reached out and opened the door. Her eyes widened as she stepped in and the Doctor and Donna followed her, watching at the Time Lady took in the enormity of the console room.

"Well?" asked the Doctor with a grin, "what do you think of the TARDIS?" "She's alive," Jenny breathed. Her father looked at her in surprise. "That's all you noticed?" he asked incredulously. He was pleased she could tell so quickly the TARDIS was alive, of course, but she hadn't said the best part yet. Donna laughed at his expression.

Jenny tore her gaze away from the beautifully lit coral themed room and hugged her father happily. "It's bigger on the inside!" she said with laugh.

"I'm going to go get some rest," said Donna, "then we can take Jenny somewhere amazing," with a smile as she walked down the corridors to find her bedroom.

"So," the Doctor said, "I'm going to park us in space for bit; let Donna get her rest." He began manically running around the console, flipping switches, setting dials, and pushing buttons as he pointed out each one and told Jenny, who was following him eagerly, what it did. "And," he said with a grin, "this one makes it go!" The TARDIS shook as it disappeared into the Vortex causing her Time Lord passengers to hold on the rails for safety.

"Is she supposed to do this?" Jenny asked, still smiling. "Uhhhh," the Doctor said sheepishly, "not really." She laughed and shook her head as the ship continued to shake. "Do you even know how to drive this thing?" "Oi!" said the Doctor indignantly, "are you saying I'm a bad driver?" Jenny just laughed again and the Doctor grinned fondly at her.

The TARDIS stopped and the Doctor motioned for her to go out the door. "Where are we?" He raised his eyebrows. "You'll have to go see," he said, motioning to the doors. Jenny smiled and ran over to the doors and gasped.

* * *

Before her was a huge red cloud full of wisps and stars. Jenny stared at it silently in wonder as her father walked up to her. "You are looking at NGC 2024," he said smiling at her expression, "also known as the Flame Nebula."

"Oh," Jenny said with a soft smile as she gazed out at the cloud of gas and dust, "it's amazing." She looked at him with a curious expression on her face. "How are we still breathing?" "Oh, that's the TARDIS," the Doctor explained, "she's protecting us." Jenny nodded wordlessly, still awestruck by the scene before her sat down in the doorway, letting her feet dangle of the edge into space as her father remained standing, leaning against the door frame.

They sat in companionable silence for a while before Jenny remembered something that had been nagging at the back of her mind. "Dad," she said curiously, glad to be able to call him 'dad' again instead of 'Doctor', "at the beginning of the tour, you mentioned a friend who had gone to a different universe. What did you mean?"

Her father stared out at the nebula with the same faraway look he'd worn before. "I'd told you about a war," he said emotionlessly, and when Jenny nodded he continued, "the Time War. The worst war in history. My- our- people died," he said, his voice finally showing emotion, "all of them, killed in an instance, while I watched on."

Jenny said nothing. For the first time Jenny realized how truly scarred her father was; she realized how much the Time War had affected him, and why he despised being called a soldier. "Did you have any family?" she asked softly. He nodded wordlessly. As they were speaking, a lot of things began to make more sense. It certainly explained his reaction to her progenation.

"After the War," he continued, "I was doing some investigating on a signal coming from Earth. I met a girl, her name was Rose," he said fondly. "She was brilliant. She still is," he corrected himself. "We travelled about for a couple of years." He stayed silent for a few moments, probably reliving some of their travels.

"I was a different man back then," he continued with a small smile, "full of guilt, and anger, but Rose didn't care. She stayed no matter what, and she always came back. She healed me; she promised forever."

"What happened?" asked Jenny softly. "She got stuck in a parallel universe," he said, his voice once again taking on an emotionless tone, "the walls have closed. I'll never see her again." Jenny stood up and hugged her father comfortingly, before standing next to him and looking at the beautiful view before them.

Deciding to change the subject she asked, "What's regeneration?" "Nope," he said, his voice regaining its normal cheer, "you have to answer one of my questions now." Jenny smiled and looked at him expectantly. "How do you know Jack Harkness?" he asked bluntly.

Jenny rolled her eyes. "I stole his Vortex Manipulator." "Well he got another one," he muttered. "Is that it?" he asked suspiciously. Jenny raised her eyebrows and smiled as she nodded. "Do you know him?" "Oh, yes," replied the Doctor. "He travelled with Rose and me for a bit." "Really? Jack?!" she exclaimed. The Doctor just shrugged.

"Now," Jenny said curiously, "what is regeneration?" "Well," her father began, running his hand through his hair, "it's a thing Time Lords do stop from dying. We change, completely. Our bodies, personalities, everything." Jenny frowned. "But that couldn't have been what happened to me," she said glancing down at herself, "look at me, I haven't changed in one hundred years!"

"I know," the Doctor said with confusion. Slowly he turned around to glance in the direction of the console and Jenny could almost see the light bulb over his head. "Of course!" he shouted. He pulled her over to the console. "Is that a hand?" Jenny asked with disgust as her father pointed to jar that did indeed have a hand in it.

"Yep," he said grinning madly. "It's mine; it got cut off in a sword fight, but I was in the first 15 hours of regeneration! I had enough energy to grow another one!" Jenny nodded, beginning to understand where her father was going. "When I got shot I was within the first 15 hours of progenation," she said slowly. "Exactly!" the Doctor said cheerily. "You're heart just grew back, no need to regenerate! I can't believe I didn't work it out!" he exclaimed.

Jenny just smiled. She knew he would probably always feel guilty about leaving her, but those one hundred years had done her good. She would never regret it.

* * *

The two talked for several hours about Time Lords, telepathy, Gallifrey, Rose, and Jenny's life. He went over the TARDIS instruments again and to the Doctor's surprise it hardly seemed like 10 minutes before Donna walked into the console room looking well rested in a fresh change of clothes. Jenny smiled at the ginger haired woman as she sat down in the door way next to them as they gazed out at the Nebula.

"Alright," said the Doctor enthusiastically as he jumped to his feet, "Where to?" he asked looking at his friend and his daughter. "Anywhere," said Jenny with an excited smile. "Somewhere new, then?" he asked with a grin, looking at Donna who nodded with a smile.

He knew just the place. "Jenny," he asked with a grin, "have you ever been to Shan Shen?" She smiled eagerly and shook her head. "Well then," he said setting the coordinates, "Allons-y!"

* * *

The Doctor watched with a smile as Jenny and Donna explored the planet of Shan Shen. It was an amazing planet, it full of vendors and booths with interesting merchandise and food. The air wall full of wonderful smells and the Doctor walked over to an extremely good smelling booth. "Oh, Jenny, Donna," he said happily, "you have to try this," he said, motioning to a foaming drink. With a smile they all took a drink and laughed as foam got all over their faces.

"Oh, Dad, look at this!" exclaimed Jenny as she dragged him over to a vendor selling some sort of exotic fruit. He nodded. "Oh, I love this fruit," he said holding up a fruit that looked like a spikey coconut. Jenny peered at it curiously. "What is it?" He shrugged. "It's been years since I had one; I've forgotten what the name is."

Noticing their conversation the man who owned to vendor began to explain to them in detail the name and origin of the fruit and the Time Lords listened in interest, with the Doctor occasionally correcting the man's history.

After a few minutes they walked away from the vendor and Jenny frowned. "Where's Donna? Did she wander off?" she asked in concern. "Nah," said the Doctor with a shake of his head, "I saw her go into here a few minutes ago," he said pointing to a small doorway.

He peeked in and found Donna looking quite shaken, staring at a giant beetle lying on the floor. "Is everything alright?" he asked. Donna looked at them in relief and gave him a hug. "What was that for?" the Doctor asked with a laugh. "I don't know!" Donna said with a big smile and turned to hug Jenny.

"What's that?" Jenny asked Donna once the redhead released her, pointing at the bug. Donna shook her head. "I don't know," she said quietly, "it was on my back," she whispered fearfully. "Well," said the Doctor reassuringly, "why don't we take a look, hm?"

* * *

"I can't remember," Donna said with a soft smile, "it's slipping away," she continued as the Doctor and Jenny examined the beetle. "You know, like when you try to remember a dream, and it just sort of . . . goes?" Jenny nodded in understanding.

"Just got lucky, this thing," the Doctor explained, "It's one of the Trickster's Brigade." He turned to Jenny. "Have you ever head of them?' Jenny nodded. "I ran into one once. They caused a lot of trouble. I got it sorted, though," she said with a grin.

"It changes a life in tiny little ways," the Doctor continued, "most of the time the universe just compensates around it, but with you," he said looking at Donna, "great big parallel world."

"Hold on," Donna said in confusion, "you said parallel worlds are sealed off." "They are," said the Doctor with a shrug, "but you had one created around you. Funny thing is, seems to be happening a lot. To you." "What do you mean?" asked Jenny. "Well," said the Doctor, trying not to show his concern, because this whole situation was starting to worry him, "first The Library, I told you about that, Jenny, and then this."

"Just goes with the job," said Donna with a shrug. "Sometimes I thinks there's way too much coincidence around you, Donna," he mused thoughtfully. "I met you once, then I met your grandfather, then I met you again." He turned to Jenny. "Same thing with you. I met both of you, twice," he said with a shake of his head, growing even more confused.

"In the whole wide universe, I met you two a second time. It's like something's binding us together." "Don't be so daft," scoffed Donna, "her, I can see," she said nodding to Jenny, "but I'm nothing special." "Yes you are," admonished the Doctor. "Of course you're special," Jenny agreed, sounding incredulous that Donna couldn't see it for herself. "You're brilliant," added the Doctor with a grin and Donna smiled, before remembering something.

"She said that," Donna said quietly. "Who did?" asked the Doctor. "The woman," she stated. She shook her head and Jenny looked at her in concern. "I can't remember." "Well, she never existed now," the Doctor said with a shrug.

Donna shook her head with a frown. "Yeah, but she said the stars . . . she said the stars are going out." "Not anymore," said Jenny comfortingly, "that world doesn't exist." Donna continued insistently. "But she said all worlds. Every world. She said the Darkness is coming. Even here."

The Doctor started to get a little more concerned. "Who was she?" Donna shook her head. "I don't know." "What did she look like," he asked urgently. It couldn't be. He knew it just couldn't be, but he couldn't stop himself from asking. He could feel Jenny's eyes on him, probably knowing who he was looking for.

The Doctor watched as she tried to recall. "She was . . . blonde." The Doctor felt a bit numb. He knew he was just getting his hopes up, but maybe, maybe the universe was on his side for once. "What was her name," he asked, barely daring to hope. "I don't know," said Donna as she shook her head in exasperation. "Donna," he repeated more urgently, "what was her name?"

"But she told me," Donna said, finally remembering something, "to warn you. She said two words."

"What two words, what were they, what did she say?" asked the Doctor, growing more, and more hopeful, but at the same time, more and more fearful, as well. Donna remained silent for a moment. "Bad Wolf," she said finally.

The Doctor stared at her in shock, and he heard Jenny gasp in recognition. It was. It really, truly was! He dashed out of the shack with Donna and Jenny on his heels and he glanced around. Every single word had changed to 'Bad Wolf.' Even the signs on the TARDIS.

He ran inside the TARDIS where the lights were glowing red. "Doctor, what is it?" Donna asked breathlessly. "What's 'Bad Wolf?" Jenny walked to his side and looked at him in concern. "It's the end of the universe," he said grimly.

And so began the most important adventure the Family of Time will ever have.


	8. Stolen Earth part one

**So this chapter is going to be short, because I'm only using the POV of Jenny and the Doctor. In the next episode I'll add in Donna and one other person who shall remain unnamed. Thank you so much for reading! Please leave a review. :)**

**Enjoy!**

Jenny, her father, and Donna all ran out of the TARDIS to see a perfectly calm Earth. "It's fine," the Doctor said in disbelief.

Jenny didn't say anything, she was still shocked about the whole 'Bad Wolf' thing. Her father had told her the story shortly before they left for Shan Shen, so she knew for the most part what it meant. If Rose was able to get from one universe to another, things could be as bad her father said.

"Excuse me!" shouted Jenny's father to a milkman, "what day is it?" "Saturday," the man replied. "Saturday," said the Doctor nodding, "good. I like Saturdays." "So, I just met Rose Tyler?" asked Donna in amazement. "Yeah," he responded tersely. "But, I thought she was locked away in a parallel world," she asked in confusion. "Exactly. If she can cross from her parallel world to your parallel world, then that means the wall of the universe are breaking down," he explained. "But what's breaking them down?" asked Jenny.

The Doctor shook his head. "I don't know. But it puts everything in danger. Everything." "Every universe," Jenny whispered fearfully to herself.

The Doctor shook his head in confusion and ran back inside the TARDIS. Jenny followed him to the console and she watched intently as he began staring at the screen while messing around with buttons and levers. "The thing is, Doctor," Donna said softly as she came up beside them, "what's happening; I'm sure it's bad, I get that. But . . . Rose is coming back," she said with a small smile, "isn't that good?"

Jenny smiled at the grin on her father's face. "Yeah." Before anyone could say anymore the TARDIS began to shake violently. "What the hell was that?!" asked Donna. Jenny checked the screen to see if they'd moved. No, they were still in the same place.

"Must've come from outside," said the Doctor as he ran towards the doors. Jenny followed him and stopped in her tracks as she saw only empty space. "Where's the earth gone?" asked Jenny quietly, mostly to herself. "But we're in space," said Donna in shock, "how did that happen? What did you do?!" she asked accusingly, and if it had been under less serious circumstances Jenny would have laughed.

As her father went over to the screen Jenny stopped him. "I've already checked. We haven't moved." The Doctor frowned and looked at the screen. "You're right; we're fixed," he said in confusion. He continued reading.

"Can't have. No," he breathed. "The TARDIS is still in the same place, but the earth has gone." Jenny looked out where the planet should be. "Where's it gone?" she asked and her father had no reply.

* * *

"But . . . if the earth's been moved," said Donna slowly, "they've lost the Sun," she exclaimed in horror. "What about my mum? And Granddad? They're dead. Are they? Are they dead?" Jenny looked at her sympathetically. "Donna," she said, "don't think about. Don't jump to conclusions. Finding it is what's important know," she said, trying to comfort her friend. Donna nodded, but Jenny heard her whisper, "that's my family" as tears welled up in the ginger's eyes.

"But that's my whole world," she said in a slightly worried voice. "I'm sorry," said the Doctor, "but I don't know. There's no readings." Jenny raised her eyebrows. "No readings? None at all?" Her father shook his head. "Nothing. Not a trace. Not even a whisper. That is fearsome technology," he said, disheartened.

"So what do we do?" asked Donna. "We have to get help," he answered grimly. Jenny raised her eyebrows. "Do you mean the Shadow Proclamation?" The Doctor stared at her. "Yes, actually. Hold tight," he said, pulling a lever.

"Does it matter," he asked Jenny suspiciously. "No, not really," she said with a shrug. "But I don't think they like me." "Why's that?" "I've contacted them before. Several times. All during very extreme circumstances."

"So go on then, what is the Shadow Proclamation anyway? Donna asked as the TARDIS flew through the Vortex. "Posh name for police. Outer space police," the Doctor explained quickly.

The TARDIS landed and the Doctor stepped out hesitantly with Jenny and Donna following behind. They were greeted by six Judoon. They all aimed their weapons at the travelers who slowly put their hands it the air.

"I've never been greeted like this," Jenny whispered to her father. "What do they do?" asked the Doctor sarcastically, "invite you for tea?" She smirked. "No, there are normally three times this many." "Three times?!" exclaimed her father incredulously.

The Judoon chanted something a foreign language that was quite familiar to Jenny and her father responded with a similar chant and the soldiers put their weapons back in their holsters.

* * *

The Doctor watched in amusement as Jenny sat comfortably on a seat she seemed quite familiar with as the Shadow Architect walked slowly around her desk. "Time Lords are the stuff of legend, belonging in the myths of the higher species." She glared at Jenny, "You claimed to be human." Jenny grinned sheepishly. "And you," the Architect said looking at the Doctor, "should not possibly exist. Either of you."

"Yeah," he said, drawing out the word, "more to the point, I have a missing planet." The woman looked at him condescendingly. "Then you're not as wise as the stories would say. This is far bigger than you could imagine; the whole universe is in outrage, Doctor. Twenty four worlds have been taken from the sky." The Doctor's eye's widened and Jenny sat up straighter.

"How many?" he asked in disbelief. "Which ones?" he asked, running around Jenny, who followed him to the computer. "Show me," he ordered. "Locations range far and wide," explained the Architect, "they all disappeared at the exact same moment leaving no trace."

The Doctor and Jenny stared at the screen and read the list of planets. "All different sizes, some populated, some not," continued the Architect, "but all unconnected." "What about Pyrovillia?" Donna asked suddenly. "Who is the female?" the Architect asked distastefully.

"Donna," answered Donna harshly, "I'm a human being, maybe not the stuff of legend, but every bit as important as Time Lords, thanks you." The Doctor grinned at her proudly and looked over to see Jenny doing the same. "Way back, when were in Pompeii," she said looking at the Doctor, "Lucious said Pyrovillia had gone missing."

A Judoon stepped up to her. "Pyrovillia is cold case. Not relevant." "Cold case," Jenny said with a smile, "that sounds interesting." "The planet Pyrovillia cannot be part of this," the Architect informed them, "it disappeared over 2,000 years ago."

"Yes, yes," said Donna with a nod, "but hang on. There's the Adipose breeding planet, too. Miss Foster said that was lost. But," she said with a shake of her head, "that must have been a long time ago."

She looked at Jenny. "What are you smiling about?" "Look at you!" Jenny exclaimed, "Working it all out! I thought you said you weren't brilliant!" she finished with a mischievous smile. Donna ignored her and the Doctor stared at Jenny. What did she mean 'working it out'? "Oh!" he exclaimed in uderstanding, "that is brilliant," he said agreeing with Jenny. "Planets are being taken out of Time as well as Space," he explained to the Architect. "Let's put this into 3-D," he said pressing a button on the monitor, and holograms of planets began popping up around the room, "add Pyrovillia and Adipose Three." He racked his brain, trying to think of other lost planets. "Oh!" he shouted, "the lost moon of Poosh!" He added that to his hologram and suddenly all the planets rearranged themselves.

"What did you do?" snapped the Architect. "I didn't do anything, they just rearranged themselves in the optimum pattern," he said defensively. "It's amazing," Jenny said in awe. "Look at that," the Doctor agreed, turning around to see all 27 planets. "27 planets in perfect balance," he said with a smile, "c'mon, that is gorgeous."

"Oi!" said Donna, "don't get all Spaceman on me; what does it mean?" she demanded. "All those worlds fit together like pieces of an engine." "It generates power," Jenny added, "but why?" "Who could design such a thing?" asked the Architect. "Someone tried to move the earth once before," he said grimly, "long time ago. Can't be," he whispered and desperately prayed he was right.

* * *

Donna and Jenny sat silently on the stairs as the Doctor concentrated on the screen. Normally Jenny would prefer to be with her father, but now she didn't think Dona should be alone. A woman from the same species as the Architect walked up to them and handed them each a dish. "You need sustenance," she said kindly, "take the water; it purifies." Jenny and Donna nodded their thanks.

"There was something on your back," the woman said looking at Donna fearfully. Donna stared at her in shock. "How did you know that?" she asked. The woman shook her head, "I'm so sorry for your loss." Donna looked down sadly. "Yeah. My whole planet's gone." The woman walked up the stairs and whispered, "God save you."

"Donna," called the Doctor walking over to them, "c'mon, think, Earth, there must have been some sort of warning. Was anything happening back in your day, like electrical storms, freak weather, patterns in the sky?" "How should I know?" Donna snapped. "Um, no," she said, her voice softening, "I don't think so, no."

Jenny looked at her in concern. The poor woman had just lost her whole world. Surely her father of all people could sympathize!

"Okay, never mind," said the Doctor with a sigh. "Although," Donna said thoughtfully, "there were the bees disappearing." Jenny's father turned around and stared at Donna. "The bees disappearing," he said condescendingly.

Jenny jumped up. "Dad, Melissa Majoria!" she shouted. He looked at her for a moment before realization dawned. "Melissa Majoria?!" Donna asked in confusion as all three rushed to the computer. "It's a planet," the Doctor stated, and Jenny explained, "Some species of bees are native to that planet. "You're saying bees are aliens?!" Donna exclaimed incredulously. "Don't be so daft," scoffed the Doctor. "Not all of them.

"They felt some sort of danger and escaped!" explained Jenny's father. "The Tandocca!" he exclaimed. "The Tandocca scale," the Architect said in amazement. The Doctor quickly explained to Donna what exactly a Tandocca scale was and got to work.

"Look, there it is!" shouted the Doctor, pointing at the screen. "The Tandocca trail!" "We can follow it!" exclaimed Jenny, "it's using the same wavelengths!"

**Uhhh, sorry Jenny doesn't do much. I'm trying to work it out, but believe me, in Journey's End she'll have a huge role. ;)**


	9. Stolen Earth part two

The Doctor, Jenny and Donna began running back to the TARDIS as fast as they could. The Doctor rushed to the screen on the console. "The signal's scattered, but definitely there!" He ran to the doors and looked out. "I've got a blip!" he shouted to the Architect, who didn't look at all happy.

"According to the laws of the Shadow Proclamation I will have to seize your transport and your technology," she declared. The Doctor looked at her in confusion. Why would she do that? "Oh, really? What for?" "The planets were stolen with hostile intent," she explained, "We are declaring war, Doctor! Right across the universe, and you will lead us into battle!"

The Doctor raised his eyebrows. Battle. That really didn't sound like him at all. "Right, yes," he said, and the woman looked a bit proud of herself. "'Course I will," he nodded, "I just have get you the key," he lied, thinking fast and ran in and shut the doors behind him.

He looked at Jenny who was looking at him in uncertainly. "I know what you're thinking," he began, "but even when fighting looks like the only way, it's not. It's always up to use to find another way Always." Jenny considered and nodded. "Alright, then," he said, walking to the console and pulling the lever, ignoring the cries of the Shadow Proclamation.

* * *

Jenny frowned as she felt the TARDIS come to a halt. Both she and her father looked at the screen. "We've stopped," whispered her father. "What do you mean? Is that good or bad?" asked Donna in confusion, "where are we?" "The Medusa Cascade," answered the Doctor in an almost reverent voice. "I came here when I was just a kid, not much younger than you," he said looking at Jenny, "only ninety years old."

Jenny raised her eyebrows at the thought of ninety being young. Though, she was not quite twenty years older than that and she didn't feel old. "So what does that make me," she asked, trying to lighten the mood, "a teenager?" she asked with a smirk. "Yeah," answered her father absently, "something like that." Donna smiled a bit and Jenny just shook her head, not quite able to laugh under the circumstance.

"The Medusa Cascade is the center of a Rift in Time and Space," Jenny's father explained. "So, where are the twenty seven planets?" asked Donna expectantly.

"Nowhere," the Doctor answered grimly, leaning against the coral wall. "The Tandocca trail stops here. End of the line," he said hopelessly. Jenny stared at her father incredulously. "How can it just stop?! They have to be here somewhere!" she protested. The Doctor said nothing.

"But, what do we do?" Donna asked, and he said nothing. Jenny could feel his sadness, his hopelessness, and his despair in her head. She never thought he could act so hopeless; it was such a contrast from his usual cheerful manner. "Doctor, what do we do?!" Donna asked desperately.

"I don't think there is anything we can do," Jenny admitted quietly. "No, don't do this to me," Donna pleaded with the Doctor, "don't do this to us," she added, glancing towards Jenny, who was trying to talk to her father mentally, but he wasn't responding. Jenny didn't know what to do.

"Not now," continued Donna, "tell me, what are we going to do? You never give up!" she insisted fearfully, "Please," she begged, before hugging Jenny tightly.

* * *

After a few minutes of unbearable silence Jenny heard a sudden ringing sound. It sounded like a - "Phone!" Donna and the Doctor exclaimed at the same time, and Jenny's father quickly answered it. "Martha, is that you?" he almost shouted. He looked in confusion before exclaiming in wonder "It's a signal!"

"Can you follow it?" Donna asked hopefully. Jenny grinned as he put the cell phone on the console and pulled out his stethoscope. "Oh, you just watch me," he said with a grin.

* * *

The TARDIS was in flames around them and Jenny wondered if she should be frightened, because she wasn't. "We're traveling through time!" her father shouted, "one second in the future! Three, two, one!"

The TARDIS shook violently as they followed the signal, but gradually stopped and the three travelers looked at the screen in shock. "Twenty seven planets," Donna breathed in relief, "and that's the earth!" she exclaimed, pointing to a blip on the screen.

"Why couldn't we see them if they were here all along?" Jenny asked in confusion. "The entire Medusa Cascade has been put a second out of synch with the rest of the universe,," he explained, not taking his eyes off the screen, "the perfect hiding place, just a tiny little pocket of time, but we found them!"

The screen began to fill with static. "Oh, what's that?" the Doctor asked as he peered curiously at the screen, "hold on, hold on," he said as adjusted a dial on the console, "seems to be some kind of sub wave network."

Suddenly the screen changed and was replaced by four different images of four groups of people. Jenny didn't recognize most of them. In the top left image was team TARDIS, directly below was a woman, who was grinning happily with a young boy behind her, Martha Jones and a woman Jenny assumed to be Martha's mother were on the bottom right, and above that someone Jenny definitely knew. Jack Harkness. She smiled.

"Where the hell have you been?" Jack shouted. Jenny could see him look closer at the screen. "Wait, I know you!" he said glaring at Jenny. "You stole my Vortex Manipulator!" he exclaimed indignantly. "Do you know how long it took me to get another one?!" Jenny smiled innocently and shrugged.

He looked like he was about to yell some more before shaking his head. "Doctor it's the Daleks!" he said urgently. The others began to talk quickly over one another and the Doctor just watched with a proud smile on his face.

Jenny couldn't understand why, though. From what she'd heard of the Daleks, from both her father and legends, they were something to be feared. If the Time Lords were the stuff of legend, then the Daleks were the stuff of nightmares.

"Sara Jane!" he cried happily. "And who's that boy?" he asked. "That must be Torchwood," he said pointing to Jack. "Oh, they're brilliant! Look at all you clever people." "That's Martha," Donna said pointing to Doctor Jones, "and who's he?" she asked with a smile, pointing to Jack. "Captain Jack," the Doctor said turning to Donna with a small frown, "Don't. Just . . . don't." Jenny laughed.

"It's like an outer space Facebook," Donna said in amazement. "Everybody except Rose," the Doctor said quietly to himself and Donna and Jenny looked at him in concern.

Suddenly the screen was filled with static and the Doctor groaned. "We've lost 'em," cried Donna unhappily. "Dad, what happened?" Jenny asked. He shook his head. "There's another signal coming through, there's someone else out there. Hello?!" he shouted, banging on the screen, "Can you hear me?! Rose?"

"Your voice is different," came a cackling voice, "yet its arrogance is unchanged." Jenny could hear her father's silent cries of _No it can't be. How can it possibly be him? _And she felt his fear and shock as he froze.

"Welcome," came the voice again, "to my new Empire, Doctor." The screen became clear and Jenny was repulsed by the image of a wrinkly humanoid male with no eyes, yellow teeth, and a blue light shining out of his head. "It is only fitting," continued the _thing_ with a hint of smugness in his voice, "that you should bear witness to the resurrection and the triumph of Davros, lord and creator of the Dalek race."

"Doctor," Donna said hesitantly when the Time Lord remained silent. "Have you nothing to say?" demanded Davros. Jenny put her arm on her father's shoulder and whispered in her head, _Dad, I'm here, are you okay?_ She thought he wasn't going to respond, but she heard, _Yeah. Fine._ Jenny knew he was lying, but at least he was talking.

"But you were destroyed," the Doctor said in a quiet, disbelieving voice, "in the first year of the Time War. At the Gates of Elysium I saw your command ships fly into the jaws of the Nightmare Child. I tried to save you," he said, his voice full of regret.

"But it took one stronger than you," declared Davros, "Dalek Caan himself." In the background Jenny heard another, more insane sounding voice. "I flew into the wild inferno," Dalek Caan said in a slightly whimsical voice, "I flew and died a thousand times." "Emergency temporal shift," explained Davros, and Jenny swore she heard a hint of disgust in his voice, "it took him back into the Time War itself."

Jenny gasped. "But I thought the Time War was time-locked!" she exclaimed. "It is," confirmed the Doctor, "it's impossible!" "And yet he succeeded. Oh, it cost him his mind," Davros said dismissively, "But still, a single, simple Dalek succeeded where Emperors and Time Lords have failed. A testament, don't you think, to my remarkable creation?" he asked; this time there was no mistaking the smugness in his voice.

"And you made a new race of Daleks," Jenny's father said angrily. "I gave myself to them," stated Davros, "quite literally. Each one grown out of a single cell from my body," he said, unbuttoning his shirt to reveal exposed organs and ribs. Jenny forced herself not to step back from the repulsive sight.

"New Daleks," said Davros proudly, "true Daleks. I have my children Doctor, what do you have? An echo of the Time Lords?" Jenny bit back a retort. She was real! She wasn't just 'an echo'! "She is so much more than an echo, Davros," the Doctor snapped and Jenny smiled just a bit.

"After all this time, after everything we saw, after everything we lost, I have only one thing to say to you," said her father slowly, "Bye!" he exclaimed, severing the connection and flying to Earth.

* * *

The Doctor, Jenny, and Donna all walked out of the TARDIS onto an empty street. Alongside the roads were empty cars that still had the doors open, but there wasn't a human in sight.

"It's like a ghost town," Donna said quietly. "Sara Jane said they were taking the people," the Doctor said in confusion, "What for?" He turned to Donna. "Think, when you met Rose in that parallel world what did she say?" he asked urgently.

Donna shook her head. "Just 'the Darkness is coming.'" "Anything else," he asked hopefully. What could Davros need with all those humans? "Why don't you ask her yourself?" Donna said, looking over his shoulder.

_Ask her myself?_ He turned around slowly in the direction Donna was looking and stared in shock. He thought it couldn't be, but it was! Here she was; Rose was standing right at the end of the street! He could barely even hear Jenny whisper something to Donna as he looked at his pink and yellow human in shock.

She started running towards him, smiling her beautiful smile and the Doctor also started running towards her. In his past the Doctor had run from many things, but he knew that he would always run _to _Rose. Always.

He ran as fast as he could and he could feel the goofy grin on his face. Rose was here! She came back! She was here!

They were close, now, just a few meters away when he heard, "EXT-TERM-INATE!" The Doctor tried to stop, tried to avoid the blast, but he couldn't. Pain blinded him as he fell to the pavement, and he could faintly hear Jenny scream in his head.

As he lay on the road he felt Rose k

* * *

neel beside him. "I've got you," she said reassuringly, "It missed you, look it's me," she said with a worried smile. The Doctor smiled weakly in response. "You came back. Rose, long time no see," he whispered, and she smiled again. "Yeah, well, been busy, you know." The Doctor felt another wave of pain as he felt the beginning of regeneration.

"Don't die," Rose pleaded, "You mustn't die," she said, gently lifting his head off the ground. "Oh, please, don't die," she pleaded desperately.

Jenny, Jack, and Donna ran up to them. "Get him into the TARDIS, quick," Jack ordered.

They carefully lifted him and carried him into his ship. "It's okay," Jenny whispered, "we're right here; Rose, Donna and me." She knew he was going to be okay; she knew he would regenterate, but she just found him and she didn't want to lose him. "Just step back," Jack ordered once they set him on the floor of the TARDIS. "Rose, do as I say and get back," he ordered again, "he's dying and you know what happens next." Jenny felt awful around Jack, as if he was . . . wrong somehow, but she desperately tried to ignore it due to the matter at hand.

"What do you mean?" asked Donna frantically. "Not now," whispered Rose through tears, "not when I came all this way," she pleaded. Jenny comfortingly laid her hand on Rose's shoulder. "What do you mean?!" demanded Donna tearfully, "what happens next?"

Jenny's father lifted up a hand and she could see that it had already begun to glow. "It's starting," he whispered.

"Here we go," said Jack, gently dragging Rose and Jenny away from the Doctor, "Good luck Doctor," he said. "Will someone please tell me what's going on?!" Donna pleaded. "It's a Time Lord thing," Jenny said. "When he's dying," explained Rose, "his body repairs itself and changes." "It will still be him though," Jenny whispered, not sure if she was reassuring herself or Rose, "deep down, he's still the same."

"I'm sorry," Jenny's father said weakly as he leaned against the console for support, looking at Rose sadly, "I'm regenerating." Jenny closed her eyes as her father burst into golden light.


	10. Journey's Beginning part one

Rose watched in amazement as the Doctor regenerated. Before the process could be completed though, he turned and the golden energy began to flow into a jar containing . . . a hand.

He stumbled back a bit and Rose cautiously glanced at him. He looked the same exactly the same; was it possible to regenerate without changing?

Rose and Donna stared at him in shock along with the blonde girl Rose couldn't identify. Her blonde hair was tied in a ponytail, she was wearing a military green shirt with a brown leather jacket, black trousers, and a holster that held no weapons.

"Now then," said the Doctor cheerfully, "where were we?" Rose watched, still stunned, as he bent down next to the jar and blew the golden energy away. "You see?" he asked with a grin, "I used the energy to heal myself, but as soon as that was done I didn't need to change. Didn't want to, why would I? Look at me." he said, adjusting his tie with a bit of arrogance. "So, to stop the energy from going all the way, I siphoned the rest in to handy. My hand there. My handy spare hand," he babbled and the blonde girl smiled.

He stood up. "So you remember that?" he asked Rose, "Christmas day? Lost my hand in a sword fight? That's my hand." Rose looked at him. "So, what do you think?" he asked her cautiously.

Rose couldn't believe it. She'd come all this way, thought he was going to regenerate, watched him regenerate, then turns out he didn't actually regenerate at all. It was a lot to take in. She hesitantly walked up to him. "You're still you?" she asked quietly.

"I'm still me," he confirmed with a smile. Rose smiled in return and hugged him in relief. She couldn't believe it. She'd finally made it back, after seeing so many parallel worlds and parallel Doctors, she was so glad to be back in the arms of this Doctor, _her_ Doctor.

* * *

Jenny stood at the console with the others, trying to avoid the feeling of wrongness that came from Jack. She wasn't exactly sure what it was, or if she was just crazy, but it bothered her. A lot.

Thankfully she was distracted when all of the sudden the lights flickered off. "They've got us," said the Doctor in surprise as he ran around the console, "Power's gone. Some kind of chrono loop!" he said in frustration.

"Is there any way to get rid of it?" Jenny asked curiously and her father shook his head. "No. Well maybe. If we had power." "Well that's a lot of help," Jack said with a roll of his eyes.

The TARDIS began to move, like it was plucked off the ground by unstable hands. Jenny gripped the console for balance as the TARDIS rocked back and forth. She let out a breath of relief as she felt the ship land.

"DOC-TOR YOU WILL STEP FORTH OR DIE," came a voice of what Jenny assumed to be a Dalek. "We have to go out," said the Doctor in defeat, "'cause if we don't, they'll get in.

"You told me nothing could get through those doors," Rose stated in confusion. "You've got extrapolator shielding," Jack agreed. "Last time we fought the Daleks they were scavengers, and hybrids, and mad," the Doctor explained grimly, "but this is a fully fledged Dalek Empire at the height of its power. Right now, that wooden door is just wood."

Jenny noticed that Donna looked terrified. She couldn't blame her; they all were. She walked over to her friend and smiled at her reassuringly.

"What about your dimension jump?" Jack asked Rose. "It needs another twenty minutes and anyways, I'm not leaving." "Jack, Jenny, what about your teleports?" Jenny glanced hopefully at her wrist. It was dead. "Went down with the power loss," Jack replied.

"Well then," said the Doctor with a weak smile, "all of us together?" He looked over at Donna with a sad expression. "I'm sorry. There's nothing else we can do." Donna nodded. "I know," she said reassuringly.

"It's been good, though hasn't it?" asked Jenny's father, "all of us, everything we did." She heard his voice in her head_. I'm sorry, Jenny._ Jenny shook her head. "I wouldn't have missed it for the world." It was true. Even though it had been only a couple of days, it was more than she thought she'd ever get. He smiled at her.

"You were brilliant," he said with a smile, looking at Jenny, "and you were brilliant," he said, smiling at Donna, "and you were brilliant," he said to Jack with a grin. He looked at Rose for a moment and smiled. "And you were brilliant."

"Blimey," the Doctor said with a sigh as he walked towards the doors. Jenny saw Rose and Jack take a deep breath and followed him. Jenny glanced at Donna. The ginger smiled weakly at her and nodded and they too walked towards the door.

Jenny heard a voice come from outside. "DALEKS REIGN SU-PREME! ALL HAIL THE DALEKS!" Donna froze. "What was that?" she asked Jenny fearfully. "It was the Daleks," she said gently. Donna shook her head. "No, not that." She looked over to the console. "It was like I heard a voice, in my head." Jenny shook her head. "I don't know. It could be anything, I suppose."

"Donna, Jenny!" the Doctor called. "You're no safer in there," Jenny heard him mutter.

"No, but I heard something," Donna insisted. Jenny shook her head helplessly. Suddenly, the door closed. "Doctor?!" Donna shouted, banging on the door. "Dad?!" Jenny pounded on the door. She had no idea what was happening, but she knew it couldn't be good.

"What have you done?" asked Donna in an accusing voice. "It wasn't me," Jenny's father protested, "I didn't do anything." "Oi! Oi, I'm not staying behind," cried Donna. "Me either!" Jenny agreed in a slightly panicked, slightly indignant voice.

"What did you do?" the Doctor shouted. "THIS IS NOT OF DALEK OR-I-GIN." _Dad! _Jenny called in her head, _what's happening?!_

_I don't know!_ Came the Doctor's frantic reply. "Stop it," he demanded, "Donna's my friend, and Jenny's my daughter, now open the door and let them out." "THIS IS TIME LORD TREACH-ORY." "Me?!" cried Jenny's father, "the door just closed on its own!" he said defensively. "NEVER-THE-LESS THE TAR-DIS IS A WEA-PON AND IT WILL BE DES-TROYED."

Jenny felt the ground beneath the TARDIS give way and they began to fall. Donna and Jenny were tossed about the ship, crashing into the walls. _Dad!_ Jenny screamed in her head, _what's happening?!_ She heard no reply, only a wave of helplessness.

After a few moments of falling Jenny could tell they'd landed. Well, not landed, but at least they stopped falling. The TARDIS began to burn and flames lit up the console room.

"What do we do?!" screamed Donna. Jenny made her way over to the console as quickly as she could. Even though they'd stopped falling, the TARDIS was still very unstable, making it difficult to walk. She first worked on getting the power back on. That was the easy part. Then, she began setting levers and dials like she'd seen her dad do, and put in the coordinates just like he'd taught her. She wasn't exactly sure she did it right, but maybe it was enough.

"Do you know how it fly this thing?!" asked Donna. "I suppose we'll find out," Jenny said with a nervous smile. She reached out to pull the lever, the one that would hopefully save their lives, but the TARDIS rocked again, more violently than before and she lost her balance, hitting her head on the console and falling unconscious to the ground.

* * *

Donna's eyes widened as Jenny fell to the floor of the burning room. She rushed over to her. "Jenny, are you alright?" she asked frantically. They had been so close to getting out, so close. They couldn't die now, Jenny had just found her father, and he still needed them. "Jenny?" she shouted.

The girl was still breathing. Donna relaxed a bit. Breathing was good. "Jenny, what do I do?" she demanded, even though she knew she would get no reply. The fire was worse now, columns of fire were bursting through the ground.

Donna began panicking even more when the console began to burn. Now, even if Jenny woke up, there might not be a way to get out.

"Jenny, what do we do?!" she shouted again, but Jenny didn't wake up. She checked Jenny's pulse, something she'd learned since she began traveling, and made sure she hadn't gotten injured. She breathed a sigh of relief. Jenny was fine, at least as far as she could tell. But she still wasn't waking up!

Donna looked hopelessly at the console and a memory clicked in her mind. _Remember_, said a gentle voice in her head. In her mind she heard the Doctor shouting, 'Allons-y!' and pulling a lever, that lever right there on the console. Jenny had already done most of the work, at least it looked like it, and so Donna took a deep breath, and pulled the lever.

She nearly collapsed in relief as she heard the sound of the TARDIS dematerializing. She slumped against a part of the console that wasn't on fire.

* * *

Jenny slowly opened her eyes and put a hand to her head. She could already tell she was going to have a really awful bruise. She looked around. They were still alive! How was that possible?! "Jenny!" cried Donna in relief. "Donna, what happened?" she asked as she slowly sat up. "How did we get out?"

Donna smiled. "I pulled the lever, the one you were about to pull, before you took a nap," she informed her. "It was not a nap!" Jenny exclaimed and Donna rolled her eyes. "Donna that was brilliant!" Jenny said with an earnest smile, "You saved our lives," she said more seriously. "And now, let me guess," said Donna drily, "now you will be eternally grateful?" Jenny stared at her. What was she talking about? The way she said it made her think she was referencing something, maybe a movie. Oh well. "Now," Jenny said, ignoring Donna's joke, looking about the flaming room, "let's find a fire extinguisher."

* * *

A bit later Jenny was mostly done with repairs. Donna had put out the fire and Jenny patched things together as best she could. She sighed. She really needed her dad.

* * *

**I have to say, my one regret about this chapter is not being able to write that hilarious scene with Donna and tentoo. ****L**** Oh well. By the way the movie reference was from Toy Story. Which also doesn't belong to me, but I couldn't resist putting that in there. :p **


	11. Journey's Beginning part two

"Activate the holding cells," ordered Davros, "Even when powerless, a Time Lord is best contained." "Still scared of me, then?" asked the Doctor nonchalantly as he reached his hand out and was met by an invisible wall that flickered blue.

Curious if hers would do the same Rose reached her hand out and was met by the same invisible wall. It certainly wasn't the worst prison she'd ever been.

"It is time we talked, Doctor, after so very long" Davros said. "No, no, no, no we're not doing the nostalgia tour," the Doctor said, shaking his head, "I want to know what's happening right here, right now. 'Cause the supreme Dalek said Vault, yeah?" He began looking around. "As in dungeon, cellar, prison," he mused and Rose detected quite a bit of smugness in his voice.

"You're not in charge of the Daleks, are you?" he asked Davros with a mocking smile, "they've got you locked down here in the basement like what? A servant? Slave? Court Jester?" "We have . . . an arrangement," huffed Davros.

"No, no, no, no," said the Doctor with a laugh, "I've got the word for it: you're the Dalek's pet!" Rose smirked. He was the creator of the Daleks (what happened to the last creature who claimed that?) and here he was locked up in a cage.

"So very full of fire, is he not?" asked Davros and Rose stiffened as he moved over to her cell, "And to think you crossed entire universes, striding parallel to parallel to find him." "Leave her alone," ordered the Doctor coldly. "She is mine to do as I please," declared Davros. "Then why am I still alive?" Rose challenged softly.

"You must be here, it was foretold. Even the supreme Dalek would not dare contradict the prophecies of Dalek Caan." He flipped a switch on his control panel and a light in the corner of the Vault lit up to reveal a Dalek shell that was missing the top to reveal the creature inside.

"So cold and dark," said the thing, "Fire is coming, endless flames." "What is that thing?" Rose asked the Doctor. He turned and looked at her. "You've met before. The last of the cult of Skaro." Rose felt her blood run cold. This was one of the monsters that had separated her from the Doctor. One of the monsters that still plagued her nightmares. "But he flew into the Time War unprotected," the Doctor continued, glaring at Caan.

"Caan did more than that, he saw Time, in its infinite complexity and majesty raging through his mind. And he saw you. Both of you," continued Davros. "Yes," agreed Caan, "I have foreseen in the wild and the wind, the Doctor will be here as witness of the end of everything, the Doctor and his precious Children of Time," Caan gloated, "and one of them will die."

"Was it you Caan?" demanded the Doctor, "did you kill Jenny and Donna? Why did the TARDIS door close? TELL ME!" he shouted angrily.

Rose was still confused as to the identity of Jenny, especially when she'd learned Jenny was his daughter. Rose knew she had only been gone for a few years, so maybe a Time Lord- or Lady- survived after all. The thought made her feel better, to know her Doctor hadn't been alone. But now he was. Again. Why did it seem like the universe never let him have a break?!

"Oh that's it!" exclaimed Davros, "The fire, the rage of a Time Lord who butchered millions. There he is! Why so shy?" he asked when the Doctor said nothing. "Show your companion. Show her your true self," Davros urged, "Dalek Caan has promised me that, too."

"At the time of Ending the Doctor's soul will be revealed," cackled Caan. Rose looked the Time Lord in concern. "What does that mean?" the Doctor asked. "We will discover it together," declared Davros, "our final journey. Because the ending approaches. The testing begins," he said, turning his chair.

"Testing of what?" asked the Doctor suspiciously. "The reality bomb," stated Davros.

* * *

"Behold the hypothesis of my genius," Davros said and activated a screen. The Doctor turned to watch and saw about fifteen humans herded together. He knew he wasn't going to like was going to happen next.

* * *

Jenny and Donna were trying to come up with a brilliant plan that would not get them, or anyone else, killed when suddenly the TARDIS shook for just a second. Jenny looked at the screen and frowned. "The twenty seven planets," she said with a puzzled expression, "what's happening to them?"

* * *

The Doctor stared at the screen in horror. "That's Z-Neutrino energy, flattened by the alignment of the planets, into a single string." No. He couldn't. "No, Davros! Davros you can't!" he shouted, his horror growing, "You can't! No!

* * *

Jenny stared at the screen before her. She had no idea what was happening. No, that was a lie; she knew a little of what was happening. Many years ago Jenny had stumbled upon some idiot who had done something similar to what she was seeing. It was the same concept, but if she had to bet, this would be much, much more destructive.

"What's happening?" Donna asked with worry. "I don't exactly know," Jenny admitted, "but from what I can tell, something bad."

* * *

The Doctor stared numbly at the screen. "Doctor what happened?" he heard Rose ask. "Electrical energy, Miss Tyler," explained Davros, "every atom in existence is bound together by an electrical field. The Reality Bomb cancels it out. Structure falls apart. That test was focused on the prisoners alone; full transmission will dissolve every form of matter."

"The stars are going out," she whispered in horror. "The twenty seven planets," the Doctor explained through clenched teeth, "they become one vast transmitter, blasting that wave length." "Across the entire universe," Davros finished tauntingly, "Never stopping, never faltering, never fading. People, and planets, and stars will become dust and the dust will become atoms and the atoms will become nothing. And the wavelength will continue, breaking through the heart of the Medusa Cascade into every dimension, every parallel, every single corner of creation." His voice got louder and more triumphant. "This is my ultimate victory, Doctor: the destruction of reality itself!"

Normally the Doctor was quite thankful for these rants, the ones where the villain spills the whole plan, allowing him to foil the plot, but this one just left him numb. Numb and angry. And there was nothing he could do about it. He was trapped.

* * *

"So what is that thing?" Donna asked Jenny. She grinned. "It's a gun. A very powerful one." Donna frowned. "I thought you gave up guns." It was a question, not a statement. Jenny smiled and glanced at the weapon she was carrying. "It doesn't kill. Well, it could," she amended, "but that's not what it's meant for. It shuts down power supplies. It harnesses-" she paused when Donna glared at her. "English, please." Jenny nodded. "I think it will paralyze the Daleks, at least the metal part." Donna raised an eyebrow. "You think?" Jenny slumped against the console. "Dad needs our help, we have to try!"

Donna nodded. "Alright then, G. I Jane, do you think you can fly this thing where it needs to go?"

* * *

Rose watched as the woman from the subwave network appeared on the screen. Martha Jones, if she heard correctly.

"This message is for the Dalek Crucible. Repeat, can you hear me?" Martha asked in a very soldier like manner. "Put me through," ordered the Doctor urgently. "It begins as Dalek Caan foretold," Davros declared smugly.

"His Children of Time will gather, and one of them will die," the insane Dalek predicted gleefully. The Doctor faced Caan angrily. "Stop saying that!" he ordered. Rose tried not to let herself panic; the last time something had the death of a Child had been predicted she'd ended up in Pete's World. She wasn't going to let that happen again. Ever.

"Put me through!" the Doctor ordered again. "Doctor!" Martha cried in relief and shook her head, "I'm sorry, I had to." "Oh but the Doctor is powerless, my prisoner," Davros informed her, "State your intent," he ordered in a bored voice, as if he had better things to do.

Rose watched curiously as Martha held up a small object. "I have the Osterhagen Key. Leave this planet and its people alone, or I'll use it," she threatened. "Osterhagen what?" asked the Doctor, "what's an Osterhagen Key?"

"There's a chain of twenty four nuclear warheads placed in strategic points beneath the earth's crust," she explained sadly, "If I use the Key, they detonate and the earth gets ripped apart." "What?!" the Doctor exclaimed incredulously, and Rose was quite shocked too, wasn't that a bit too extreme?

"Who invented that?" the Doctor asked in horror, "well, someone called Osterhagen, I suppose," he said, answering his own question. "Martha are you insane?" he asked. Martha looked at him with a remorse. "The Osterhagen Key is to be used if the suffering of the human race is so great," she choked out, "so without hope that this becomes the final option."

"That's never an option," the Doctor protested quietly. "Don't argue with me, Doctor," Martha snapped, "'cause it's more than that. Now I reckon the Daleks need these twenty seven planets for some reason, but what if it becomes twenty six?" she asked with a triumphant smile, "What happens then? Daleks, would you risk it?"

Rose smirked. Not the best idea, but Martha obviously had good intentions, and really brilliant reasoning. "Oh, she's good," Rose said to the Doctor. The Doctor looked at her in horror. Well, he might have misinterpreted what she'd meant by that.

"Who's that," Martha asked suddenly, looking at her. "My name's Rose," she answered, "Rose Tyler." She held her breath for a moment. Martha was one of the Doctor's companions. Had he ever mentioned her to Martha, or was she forgotten as well?

Martha's expression softened. "He found you," she breathed in shock. Rose turned and smiled fondly at the Doctor, not really caring that it was in fact, her who'd done the finding. He cared enough not to forget, enough to let her be remembered.

"Calling all Dalek boys and girls, are you receiving me?" asked Jack in a booming voice as a second image was projected. He was holding up what looked like some sort of necklace with a gold chain with wires attached to it. "Don't send in your goons, or I'll set this thing off," Jack warned.

Rose swore she felt her heart stop. It was Jack. How was he alive?! And behind him was her mum and Mickey. What were they thinking?! Didn't they know how dangerous this was?!

"He's still alive," she said in shock, "and that's my mum," she added, pointing to the projection. "And Mickey," the Doctor pointed out, "Captain, what are you doing?" he asked.

"I've got a warp star wired into the main frame. I break this shell and the entire Crucible goes up," Jack informed them. "What?!" asked the Doctor incredulously, "You can't! Where did you get a warp star?"

"From me," stated Sarah Jane, taking a step forward. "We had no choice, we saw what happened to the prisoners," she said and Rose sympathized with her friend when she heard a hint of desperation creep into the voice of the normally strong woman.

"Impossible," whispered Davros in shock, "That face, after all these years." Sarah Jane's eye's widened in shock. "Davros," she whispered in horror, "it has been quite a while. Sarah Jane Smith," she said, regaining her courage, "remember?"

"Oh, this is meant to be," said Davros, "the Circle of Time is closing. You were there on Skaro at the very beginning of my creation." "Well, I've learned how to fight since then," snapped Sarah Jane, "You let the Doctor go, or this Warp Star gets opened."

"I'll do it," threatened Jack, "don't imagine I wouldn't."

"Now that's what I call a ransom," said Rose with a nervous laugh. She looked over at the Doctor to see his response and saw him staring remorsefully at the ground. "Doctor?" she asked in concern.

**I just put a poll on my profile regarding Ten's regeneration. Please vote and tell me what you think. :) **


	12. Journey's Beginning part three

**Oh, dear. Sorry it's been so long. :/ I hope the ending is okay. It may not be what you expected, but trust me, I'm building up for series 6. And 5 and 7, of course. ;) In this chapter I also mention a very important AU detail that takes place before this story. Hope it doesn't confuse you. :)**

** Enjoy!**

"And the prophecy unfolds," declared Davros. "The Doctor's soul will be revealed," said Caan with an insane laugh, "See him, he the heart of him!"

"The man who abhors violence, never carrying a gun," taunted Davros, "But this is the truth Doctor: you take ordinary people and you fashion them into weapons." The Doctor said nothing; why would he_? It's the truth_, he thought bitterly.

"Behold your Children of Time, transformed into murderers. I made the Daleks, Doctor, you made this," stated Davros. "They're trying to help," defended the Doctor quietly.

"Already I have seen them sacrifice today for their beloved Doctor," Davros informed him, "the Earth woman who fell opening the subwave network." "Who was that?" asked the Doctor in concern. "Harriet Jones," Rose told him gently, "she gave her life to get you here."

The Doctor stared at her in shock. His last meeting with Harriet had ended . . . poorly, and yet she still died for him. Why? What was so special about him? All he did was destroy.

"How many more?" asked Davros, "just think, how many more will die in your name?" The Doctor remembered Jabe, and Lynda with a 'y', Sir Robert, Angela Price, the members of LINDA, the Face of Boe, Chantho, Astrid Peth, Luke Rattigan, River Song. In his mind he heard the Professor say the words she'd used to gain his trust: 'the Bad Wolf is returning.' He remembered the hostess from Midnight, and so many more. Did he deserve that? People laying down their lives for him? Why should he live on and let them die?

"The Doctor, the man who keeps on running, never looking back, because he dare not, out of shame."

_That much is true, at least. I ran from Jenny. I would have been there when she woke up if I hadn't run. It seems all I ever do is run. Coward or killer? Maybe I'm both._

"This is my final victory, Doctor. I have shown you yourself," declared Davros.

"It the Crucible or the earth," warned Martha. Suddenly a blue light enveloped her as well as Jack, Sarah Jane, Jackie, and Mickey, and they all disappeared, only to reappear in the Vault of the Crucible.

This was either really bad, or slightly better than it had been two seconds ago. "Don't move!" warned the Doctor urgently, "stay still!"

"On your knees, all of you!" ordered Davros harshly, "Surrender!" "Do as he says," the Doctor implored.

Reluctantly, they all put their hands on their heads. "Mum, I told you not to!" whispered Rose a bit angrily. "Well, I wasn't goin' to leave you!" explained Jackie quietly.

"The final prophecy is in place," declared Davros, "the Doctor with his Children of Time as witnesses. Supreme Dalek, the time has come! Detonate the Reality Bomb!" he shouted.

"You can't, Davros!" the Doctor shouted, "Davros listen to me! Just stop!" "Nothing can stop the detonation!" cried Davros laughing, "Nothing, and no one!"

* * *

"Ready?" Jenny asked, cocking the gun. Donna smiled and pushed down the lever, making the TARDIS materialize as near to the Doctor as Jenny could pinpoint.

* * *

The Doctor stared at the sound of the TARDIS. "But that's impossible," he whispered. _Not impossible, _said a familiar voice in his head, _just a little bit unlikely! _

The doors to his beloved ship opened and Jenny walked out with what looked like a gun that looked similar to the one Rose had been carrying in her hands. "Brilliant," breathed Jack. Jenny began to run at Davros, aiming her weapon. "Don't!" cried the Doctor.

But it was too late. A stream of blue electricity came out of Davros' finger and sent Jenny flying, landing unconscious by the controls. The Doctor thought he felt his hearts stop, which was, of course, ridiculous. _She's still alive,_ he tried to reassure himself, _she has to be. _

"Jenny!" cried Donna, as she ran out of the TARDIS. She hesitantly lifted the gun and shot Davros' chair. The Doctor's eye's widened. Why would she hit the chair? Davros angrily raised his finger, and the gun was knocked out of her hands. He aimed his electricity shooting finger at Donna, but nothing happened.

"What did you do?" asked the Doctor in relief. Donna shook her head in confusion. "I don't know! Jenny said something about . . . draining the power, or something." The Doctor looked around, trying to see what was happening.

"You may have saved yourself, but you have not stopped the reality bomb!" he shouted triumphantly. "Activate holding cells," he ordered. Nothing happened. "Activate the holding cells!" he ordered again, louder this time.

"No matter," declared Davros dismissively, "you have no way of stopping me.

The Doctor heard Jenny's voice in his head. _Am I pressing the right buttons?_ He could almost hear his daughter's cheeky voice. He looked again at the control panel and saw Jenny discreetly looking at the arrangement of switches and buttons.

_No!_ he warned, _not that one! One to the left. My left!_

"Your strategies have failed, your weapons are useless," mocked Davros, "Oh. And the end of the universe has come."

The Doctor grinned at his daughter at the sound of an alarm. Everyone turned in surprise as the supreme Dalek's countdown halted. "Closing all Z-Neutrino loops using a synchronized reversal loop," explained the Doctor proudly. Jenny smiled at him and pointed to the switch he had just instructed her to flip. "That button there," she said grinning.

"You'll suffer for this!" threatened Davros. Jenny raised her eyebrows. "I'd like to see you try. You can't even move with no power to that chair of yours!" she said with a laugh.

"Exterminate her!" cried an enraged Davros.

_Dad, holding cells! Which button?! _ Cried Jenny in his head. He sent her the answer and ran to the controls. He began furiously messing with the controls and breathed a sigh of relief when the Daleks could not fire.

"WEAP-ONS NON FUNC-TION-AL!" cried the Daleks. The Doctor grinned and pressed another series of buttons. "Unsealed the vault," he announced. Jenny smiled mischievously and turned a dial. He watched in amusement as the Daleks began to spin in involuntary circles. "HELP ME!" they cried. Jack laughed as Jenny made them spin the other way.

"Brilliant!" cried the Doctor in amazement. "We've still got twenty seven planets to send home," Jenny said, "let's get to work!"

Jack ran into the TARDIS as Davros ordered furiously, "Stop this at once!" Jack came out holding two giant guns. "Mickey!" he shouted, tossing him one of the weapons. "Just stay where you are," Mickey warned the enraged Davros.

"Ready?" Jenny asked, "and reverse!" she ordered, pulling the knob the Doctor had instructed. "Off you go, Clom," announced the Doctor, "back home Adipose Three!" "Shallacatop, Pyrovillia, and the Lost Moon of Poosh," cried Jenny happily. The Doctor began fixing some wires to add more power.

Rose walked up to him. "Is anyone going to explain who Jenny is?" she asked in a confused voice. "She's a generated anomaly," explained Donna, "We were on this planet, and they took a sample of his hand," she said, nodding at the Doctor, "and used a machine to make Jenny!"

"So now there's two of you?" she asked the Doctor hopefully, "you aren't the last one anymore?" The Doctor nodded smiled. Of course, he could never be truly alone while Rose was with him. And Donna of course.

"But you promised me Dalek Caan. Why did you not foresee this?" asked Davros, with Mickey still holding him a gunpoint. Caan laughed. "I think he did," the Doctor said curiously, "someone's been manipulating the timelines for ages, getting Donna and Jenny to the right place at the right time."

"This would always have happened," declared Caan, "I only helped, Doctor." "You betrayed the Daleks?" asked Davros with disgust. "I _saw_ the Daleks," contradicted Caan, "throughout Time and Space; I saw the _truth_ of us, Creator, and I declared no more!"

The Doctor looked in amazement at Caan. Here was anther Dalek who saw his species for what they were. _It's amazing, _he mused, _what a different perspective can do._

"Heads up!" warned Jack as the supreme Dalek came floating down. "YOU HAVE BE-TRAYED US, DAVROS," declared the supreme Dalek. "It was Caan!" Davros pleaded. "YOU WILL ALL BE EX-TERM-IN-ATED!" announced the red Dalek as he aimed for the Doctor. Instinctively he jumped away and the blast instead hit the control panel.

"Like I was saying," shouted Jack, "feel this!" He shot the supreme Dalek, who went up in a burst of flames.

The Doctor surveyed the damage to the controls. "We've lost the magnetron," he said grimly, ""but there's only one planet left!" He looked closer. "Oh, and guess which one!" he exclaimed incredulously. Of course it was Earth, what else could it be?

"But we can use the TARDIS!" He looked at his daughter. "Jenny, go get her ready." She smiled and ran into the ship.

He looked to the controls and began flipping switches. "Holding Earth's stability, maintaining atmospheric shell." "The prophecy must complete," said Caan, and the Doctor thought it sounded like a warning. "Don't listen to him!" cried Davros.

"I have seen the end of everything Dalek, and you must make it happen, Doctor." The Doctor felt a cold feeling in his gut. "He's right," he said quietly to himself, "'Cause with or without the Reality Bomb this Empire is big enough to slaughter the Cosmos."

They had to die, or everyone else would pay. And if he didn't do it, someone else would. He couldn't let Jenny, or Jack, or anyone have that burden. It would have to be him. He would have to commit genocide, again. But it would not be in the name of revenge, it would be in the name of thanking those who'd given their lives. He would do this to preserve the timelines; this wasn't supposed to happen.

"Doctor, are you sure about this?" asked Donna uncertainly. He looked sadly at his friend, but said nothing. He maximized the dalekanium power fields, making them burst into flames.

The Doctor could barely hear Jenny shout, "Dad, she's ready!" He nodded, even though she couldn't see him in there and turned to his friends. Well, his friends and Jackie. But he was willing to stretch the definition. "Get into the TARDIS!" he ordered urgently as they all dodged falling debris.

They all ran into his ship and he looked at Davros, who he could barely see amidst the explosions. "Davros!" he shouted, "I promise, I can save you!" Davros glared at him. "Never forget Doctor: you did this! I name you forever, you are the Destroyer of Worlds!"

The Doctor looked sadly at his nemesis before running into the TARDIS. "And," he said, running to the console next to Jenny, "off we go!" "What about Earth?" asked Sarah Jane, "it's still stuck in the wrong part of space!"

"I'm on it," he replied and looked at the console. "Torchwood Hub," he called urgently, looking at the screen, "this is the Doctor, are you reading me?" "Loud and clear," answered a familiar looking woman. "Is Jack there?" she asked.

The Doctor glance over at the Captain. "Can't get rid of him," he replied. "Jack, what's her name?" he asked. She really reminded of Gwyneth, from Cardiff 1869. "Gwen Cooper," Jack said with a smile. The Doctor looked at the screen. "Tell me Gwen Cooper, are you from an old Cardiff family?" he asked the woman.

She looked at him in confusion. "Yes- all the way back to the 1800s." The Doctor grinned. "Yeah, thought so." He turned to Rose, who was standing next to him, and they grinned knowingly at each other.

"Now Torchwood," the Doctor instructed, "I want you to use that Rift manipulator to send all the power to me." A man leaned into the image. "Doing it now, sir." "What's that for?" asked Rose curiously. "It's a towrope," he answered quickly.

"Now Sarah Jane, what was your son's name again?" he asked his old friend. "Luke," she replied promptly, "he's called Luke. And the computer's called Mr. Smith." The Doctor nodded at looked at the screen. "Calling Luke and Mr. Smith," he said, "This is the Doctor. C'mon Luke, shake a leg!"

A teenager ran into view. "Is Mum there?" he asked urgently. The Doctor smiled. "Oh, she's fine and dandy! Now Mr. Smith, I want you to harness the Rift power and harness it around the TARDIS, you got that?"

"I regret that I will need remote access to TARDIS base code numerals," said a mechanical voice. "The Doctor frowned and ran a hand through his hair. Base codes . . . base codes . . . base codes would take forever! "Oh, blimey that's going to take a while," he groaned. "No, no, no," exclaimed Sarah Jane as she ran to his side by the screen. "Let me," she said, "K-9, out you come!" The Doctor grinned in excitement; this was like a reunion! K-9 Mark IV appeared in a blue light. "Affirmative, Mistress," came the voice of K-9. The Doctor laughed. "Oh, good dog!" he cried, "Now K-9, give Mr. Smith the TARDIS base codes," he instructed. The mechanical dog wheeled over to the super computer. "TARDIS base codes being transferred. The process is simple."

The Doctor ushered Sarah Jane to her previous spot at the console. "You push that," he instructed her. He turned to Mickey. "Mickey, you hold that," he said, pointing to a dial. He went around, giving instructions to Jack, Donna, Jenny, Rose, and Martha but certainly not Jackie!

"You know why this TARDIS is always rattling about?" he asked. Not waiting for a reply he answered his own question. "It's designed for six pilots and I have to do it single handedly, but not anymore! Now we can fly this thing like it's mean to be flown! We've got the Torchwood Rift looped around the TARDIS by Mr. Smith. We're gonna fly planet Earth back home," he said with a determined grin.

The Doctor smiled to himself at the thought of never having to fly his Old Girl by himself again. Now he had Jenny, as well as Donna, and . . . and Rose, if she wanted.

"Right then. Off we go!" He proudly observed his brilliant friends as they all flew their planet back home. His amazing, fantastic, brilliant companions. Donna and Jenny, what a team they made. Saved the whole universe. The strong, stubborn, ex-soldier Time Lady, and her role model, the loud, ginger, head strong, stubborn . . . ohhhhh, he was going to have his hands full.

And Rose. His beautiful, wonderful, pink and yellow human. She jumped universes just to warn him. Just to come back to him. He realized with a smile that no matter how many times he sent her away, Rose would always come back. Of course, he was never, ever, going to let them be separated again. He didn't think the universe could take that. More to the point, he didn't think_ he_ could take it.

The TARDIS came to a halt as the earth came to rest in its proper place and the Family of Time and their friends celebrated. He hugged everyone at least twice and maybe Rose a third time. The earth was safe, the universe was saved, Jenny was safe, and Rose was back. For now, he wasn't even going to focus on the negatives.

* * *

After saying farewells to his friends the Doctor made one last trip. Jenny watched her father's expression sadden, though she didn't know why. They walked out of the TARDIS on to a cold, windy beach. "Fat lot of good this is," complained Rose's mum, "bloody Norway."

"I'm going to have to phone your father," she said to Rose, who walked out, hand in hand with the Doctor, "he's on the nursery run." Rose's mum, Jackie, Jenny thought her name was, turned to the Time Lord. "I was pregnant," she told him with a smile, "do you remember?"

"Had a baby boy," she said as Donna walked out. The Doctor smiled. "Brilliant. What'd you call him?" "Doctor," Jackie said. Jenny laughed at the expression on her father's face. "Really?" "No, you plum," Jackie said with a grin, "he's called Tony."

"Hold on," said Rose in confusion, "this is the parallel world, right?" she asked the Doctor, who was still holding her hand.

The Doctor nodded. "You're back home," he confirmed, "and the walls between the worlds are resealing." Jenny could see the sadness in her father's face. "Rose," he said gently, "if you come with me, you won't ever see them. Not your mother, or Pete, or Tony."

Jenny smiled as Rose replied, "I told you before, I chose you. I choose you." She looked down nervously. "Do you still want me to come, now that you have Donna and Jenny?" Donna rolled her eyes. "Of course he wants you to come. He's been waiting for you to come back for ages!"

Rose looked at Jenny expectantly. Jenny smiled at her. "The more the merrier," she said truthfully, "it's not like we'll run out of room," she added with a grin. Rose laughed a bit before looking back to the man in pinstripes. The Doctor smiled softly at her. "Rose Tyler," he said, "would you like to travel with me in my trans-dimensional time-traveling space ship?"

Rose grinned at him. "Forever," she answered. Jenny smiled at the silly grin on her father's face as he picked up Rose in a bone-crushing hug. "That's settled then," said Rose, looking at the Doctor happily, "I'm coming home. To the TARDIS." The Doctor nodded in agreement.

Jenny watched as Rose and her mother exchanged tearful farewells and after a couple of minutes they all walked into the TARDIS. _Back home,_ thought Jenny with a contented sigh.

* * *

And so ended anther adventure of the Family of Time, and so began another Journey.


	13. Interlude- Starry Nights

**To be perfectly honest, I'm not sure what I think of this chapter, so please tell me what you think! ****J**** Thank you all soooo much for reading and reviewing. Your reviews are what makes writing this story so much fun. :D **

** Enjoy!**

"So, Jenny," said her father cheerfully, "why don't we go see if the TARDIS has a bedroom ready for you?" Jenny nodded and smiled.

Donna yawned and walked off down a corridor. "You three go do that; if you don't mind, I think I'll get some rest." The Doctor nodded. "Sure, Donna."

Jenny waved good night to her friend and turned to Rose and the Doctor. "So, where would my bedroom be?" she asked curiously.

The Doctor shrugged. "Could be anywhere. The TARDIS can arrange the rooms any way she wants. Sometimes she'll even hide rooms. If you can't find a room within a few minutes, you probably won't," he advised with a smile.

"You wouldn't believe how many times the Old Girl used to hide the kitchen from me," Rose said with a grin, "you would have thought she didn't want me in there!"

The Doctor raised his eyebrows. "Of course she didn't! Every time you went in there, you burnt something!" Rose laughed and Jenny smiled in amusement as they continued to banter back and forth.

After a few moments Jenny looked down the corridor. "I'm going to go in ahead," she said, "catch up if you want," she said with a smile, knowing they probably wouldn't even realize she was gone. After all, they were obviously very close, and had a lot to catch up on.

Jenny walked through the seemingly endless maze of hallways and doors. She tried every one, some were locked, and some weren't.

She found she found two rooms containing gardens of some sort. One door had circular markings engraved on it, and inside the room was a forest of red grass with breath taking silver trees. The second garden room was labeled 'oxygen factory' and contained a variety of plants and trees from various worlds.

Jenny kept on walking and found several bathrooms, an enormous library (with a swimming pool), a wardrobe that was far bigger than any closet Jenny had ever seen, and many, many more rooms and locked doors.

Finally she came to one door with the name 'Jenny' carved in beautiful elegant letters. She stepped in and looked around. "Oh," she breathed quietly in awe.

The room was dome shaped with a very high ceiling. There was a door that probably led to a closet, but other than that there was no furniture on the walls. A large, comfortable looking bed was positioned in the middle of the room. Jenny walked over and laid down on the bed and looked at the ceiling.

Wow, it was beautiful. It was like a planetarium turned bedroom; the image of a night sky filled with hundreds of stars was projected on to the ceiling. Even though it was a night sky, the room was still filled with enough soft lighting not to be too dark, or too bright. "Thank you," Jenny whispered and she felt a small whisper of in the back of her mind.

Jenny watched the stars for a few minutes, just gazing at the beauty of it, when she heard the door open just a crack "Jenny?" the Doctor called, "Are you in here?" "Yeah, Dad, come see," she said with a smile in her voice as she got off her bed.

The Doctor and Rose walked in and Jenny was pleased to see they were in awe of the room as she was. "Gallifrey," the Doctor said quietly, hand is his pockets. Jenny looked at him curiously. "It's how the sky looked from my home on Gallifrey," he explained. "'S beautiful," Rose said, turning in a circle to see the whole room. "It was," he said with a nod, and Jenny heard the pain in his voice. "Very beautiful to look at," he confirmed.

After a few minutes Rose and the Doctor left Jenny to her sleep, since apparently she hadn't slept a wink since she had been reunited with the Doctor. Rose smiled as she passed the familiar doors of her beloved home.

She hadn't let go of the Doctor's hand since they'd stepped onto Bad Wolf Bay, and to be perfectly honest, she wasn't inclined to let go until she absolutely had to.

Of course, she had no way of knowing the Doctor felt the same way.

They wandered around for a bit, before coming upon the familiar wooden door with the image of a rose carved into it. Rose touched the beautiful image and willed herself not to cry. She had been gone for four whole years. Four years of nothing but pain, and the desire to return. "Good to be home," she whispered, mostly to herself.

The Doctor squeezed her hand comfortingly and she smiled at him. Rose opened the door, and to her surprise, it looked different than she remembered. For one, the bed was made, and two, there were many picture frames that she had never seen before. Some were on her dresser, some were on the pink walls, and some were by her bed, but they all had a picture of her and the Doctor, in both regenerations.

Rose smiled softly. "Some of them I had taken, some I got from Jack the last time we met, and some the TARDIS had taken," he explained. "Hope you don't mind," he added hastily. Rose walked around her room, still holding the Doctor's hand, and examined the photos. "Of course not," she said, touched by his gesture, "Means a lot."

**So on my profile there is a poll concerning Ten's regeneration. I would love it if you took a look and voted. ****J**

** Also, if you guys had to choose between a normal sized (~3 chapters) 'The Next Doctor' or 'Planet of the Dead' which would you choose? Please give me your opinions about this in your reviews! :) **


	14. TARDIS Log: London, 1851

**So this is something new I'd thought I'd try. I didn't want to do a full 3 chapter version of 'The Next Doctor', but when I shortened it, it just didn't feel right, so I did this instead. This is more about Jenny's thoughts then the adventure itself, so if you haven't seen 'the Next Doctor' this probably won't make sense. I'll do this setup every now and then, so please, review and tell me what you think!**

** Enjoy!**

Today I realized something about life. You'd think that after one hundred and seven years of living I would have learned everything. I suppose the universe will never stop teaching, though.

Dad, Rose, Donna and I relaxed on the TARDIS for a few days, and Donna and I got to get to know Rose. She and Dad make quite the pair. Dad seems far happier than he has been, though I think he still feels bad about taking Rose from her family. It was her choice; I don't see what the problem is.

After a few days of sitting around Dad set the coordinates to random. We stepped out of the TARDIS onto a beautiful nineteenth century London street covered in snow. As soon as we stepped out Rose decided it was the perfect time to give me the grand tour of the wardrobe and so Donna, Rose and I all changed into dresses that wouldn't cause a riot.

We came out and Dad was nowhere to be found, so we ran towards shouting and found Dad and another man being pulled up a rope by some shaggy creature I'd never seen. I probably would have laughed if it weren't for the fact that neither man looked very happy.

The face of the creature didn't look like it fit the body; it was a bronze robot mask in contrast to its black furry body. When Rose saw the face, she got very pale. I filed it away and decided to ask someone about it later.

There was another woman already watching them. Dad called the other man 'Doctor'. Rose and I stared at each other in confusion while Donna shouted at Dad, asking him what was going on.

Dad then asked the man if he recognized him and an idea began to form in my mind. I turned to the woman and asked her if she knew who the men were. She told me she didn't know who the man in the trench coat was, but the other man was the Doctor, and then she ran off with a axe.

We all followed her and watched as she brilliantly saved Dad and the other man's life. I telepathically asked Dad who the man was and he told me he was most likely a future regeneration.

I realized for what seemed like the first time that I might lose Dad someday, and he might lose me, as well. If this man was Dad, where was I? I almost lost him before, of course, on Midnight, I didn't know about regeneration, and until know I didn't realize how much it would bother me. I wonder if that's an odd thought for a Time Lady. Before the Crucible, when he almost regenerated, there wasn't any time to sit around and dwell on it, but now Dad didn't even have his 'spare' hand; it burnt when the TARDIS was dropped into the core.

I know he would still be the same person, but what if the next man doesn't act like a father? What if he acts like a silly kid? What if in his next regeneration, he's even less suited to being a father than he is now? What if he does want to teach me anymore? I know his people are a touchy subject for him, but what if it gets worst next time around?

What if it's soon? I haven't had near enough time with him, how will I feel if he suddenly changes?

I need to calm down; I could be way over thinking this. I'm a Time Lady; regeneration is a fact of life, I should be okay with it.

* * *

It turns out there was a very large, very bad Cyberman plot than involved a Cyberking/queen and lots of infostamps. The man we supposed was a future Doctor, was in fact, a man called Jackson Lake who believed he was the Doctor because of an infostamp. There was a lot of running involved, and I think despite the danger Rose was glad to be with us.

Donna was brilliant as usual, quickly deducing that Mr. Lake had not only lost his wife, but his son as well. Rose saved us using the infostamp as Mr. Lake had earlier and in the end Dad defeated the monster, and saved London with some help from me, of course.

Just another day, I suppose.

Mr. Lake lost his wife far too early. I guess I can't help but wonder what Dad and I will do if something happens to Donna or Rose. Humans are fragile creatures, at least comparatively, and they could die while traveling with us, and they will get old, and move on with their lives, and eventually they will die. Do we just find another companion and pretend it never happened?

* * *

I talked to Rose about the Cybermen and she after a bit she told me the full details about the Battle of Canary Wharf. Well, probably not all of the details. She mentioned something about a goodbye, but I didn't push for details. Maybe later I'll ask Dad. Or maybe the TARDIS will have something on record.

These people are my family now. I'm not going to let anything happen to them. It may only be for right now, but I'm a soldier; I know everyone will die, and I know I'm not going to take them for granted even for as little as time we may have.


	15. Planet of the Dead part one

**Sorry I've been so inconsistent with my updates; school has just started and it makes things rather difficult. In this chapter I mention Harry Potter and if I got any details wrong you'll have to forgive me; I've never read the books or seen the movies. I would love to know what you think, so please review!**

** Enjoy!**

The Doctor had just dropped Donna off in London so she could visit her family for a bit when he detected something odd. He said he detected traces of a worm hole so he, Rose, and Jenny all went a wild goose chase looking for the source.

Rose was so thrilled to be back, not just in the TARDIS, but with the Doctor. She had missed him more than she could say in those three years. At least he hadn't been alone, though. He'd had Martha, and Donna, and Jenny. A daughter! A lot was different. Not bad different, just different.

The time traveling trio wandered around the city laughing and joking as the Doctor concentrated on a small device in his hand.

They eventually got on a bus as the Doctor was telling Rose and Jenny about meeting Shakespeare. Rose listened with a smile as he animatedly described the Carionites and the whole adventure.

The girls sat next to each other with Rose next to the aisle and the Doctor paused his story greet the woman he was seated with. "Happy Easter," he said cheerily.

"So then Shakespeare couldn't find the right word," said Jenny's dad as he continued telling then a story. Jenny could tell by the look on her face the woman seated next to the Doctor thought they were mad. "Before I met him, I never thought Shakespeare could be at a loss for words! But anyway, Martha gave him the last word and saved the day! The lost play stayed lost and the Carionites now sit in a box in the TARDIS."

"What word did she use?" asked Jenny curiously. "Expelliarmus!" he exclaimed and Rose laughed. "Harry Potter!" she exclaimed happily and Jenny looked at them curiously.

"What?" she asked in confusion.

"Harry Potter," Rose repeated. Jenny shook her head in confusion.

Her father looked at her incredulously. "She doesn't know what Harry Potter is! Rose! My daughter has never heard of Harry Potter!" he finished in a very serious tone

Rose smiled in mock sympathy before turning to Jenny. "Harry Potter is a book series about a wizard named-" she was cut off by the Doctor.

"It's more than just a book series! It's brilliant! Molto bene! And there's a movie for each book! Well, Deathly Hallows is in two parts," he amended.

Jenny grinned at her father. "Then once we get here I suppose we'll have to have another movie night," she announced and the Doctor nodded in agreement, though was prevented from speaking by the woman seated next to him.

"What do you mean 'there's a movie for each book? There are only six; they haven't done the last one yet," the woman asked in confusion.

Jenny watched as her father noticed his slip up and turned to face the woman. "Of course, but I only meant that . . . there is going to be a movie for each book!" The woman raised her eyebrows, but said nothing.

The device in the Doctor's lap started to make a noise so he picked up the device, which was flashing blue. "Oh, we've got excitation," he said and he looked at the device curiously, "It's picking up something very strange," he said holding the thing to his ear.

"I know the feeling," said the woman with a sigh as she glanced out the window where sirens could be heard.

"What do you think it is?" Jenny asked curiously, peering over at the device.

"I don't know," her father answered absently, "This thing detects rhodium particles; that's what we're looking for." "The little dish should go 'round," he with a bit of frustration as he prodded the offending dish, "that little dish there," he said to the woman seated next to him.

"Right now a way out would be pretty handy," the woman replied drily, "could you detect me one of those?" she asked, glancing out the window.

Rose looked at her curiously and smiled good-naturedly. "You in a hurry?" Jenny's friend asked the woman.

The woman froze just for an instant before nodding. "I am, actually," she said with a frown, once again peering out the window, where the sounds of sirens were getting louder.

Finally Jenny's father smiled as the miniature satellite dish began turning. "Ah," he said in relief, "the little dish is going around."

"Fascinating," said the woman, who obviously couldn't care a bit.

"Why did it just start now?" Jenny asked her father inquisitively. It did seem odd, after all the thing wasn't working, and then all by itself it just started. Of course it could just have been a glitch or something, but Jenny had quickly learned not to brush anything off as coincidence.

The Doctor frowned. "I don't know; could have been anything." Suddenly the device made a popping sound and smoke began to come out of it. "Whoa," he said in surprise as he got up and walked to the front of the bus.

"Sorry, do you mind?" asked the woman sitting in front of the Doctor.

"It was my little dish," he said as he looked intently at the device in his hand. Jenny couldn't help but smirk. That was her father all right; rude and not ginger, as she'd heard him say before.

Rose walked up to the Doctor with excitement on her face. "Can you tell what it's picking up? Is it something big?" she asked eagerly.

"Could be," he answered slowly and Jenny heard the smile in his voice. This was the best bit: the anticipation of the adventure, never knowing what was coming. _Actually, who am I kidding, _Jenny though, _it's all the best bit. Every single second._

"Can't you turn that thing off?" asked the woman Jenny's father had been seated next to in an annoyed voice.

The Doctor turned around. "What's your name?" he asked her urgently. And Jenny raised her eyebrows. He seemed a bit worried.

"Christina," the woman answered promptly. He quickly sat back down and motioned Rose to do the same. "Christina, hold on tight!" he shouted, "Everyone hold on tight!"

Jenny braced herself as the bus began shaking and rocking back and forth. There was a blinding light, then the lights went out as the bus spun for just a moment.

The Doctor looked up as the bus came to a halt. He had a feeling about this. He wasn't sure if it was a bad feeling or a good feeling, but it was definitely something. Sunlight streamed in through the windows that contrasted the dark rainy weather they had been in.

He stood up and looked across the aisle. "Rose, Jenny?" he called, "you okay?"

"Fine," answered Rose weakly at the same time as Jenny said, "I'm okay." The Doctor let out a breath of relief. Good feeling. Definitely good.

He walked out the door and looked out at the miles and miles of sand. "Do you know where we are?" asked Rose as she stepped out of the bus, followed by Jenny and Christina.

The Doctor shook his head. "Call it a hunch, but I think we've gone a little bit further than Brixton," he answered as he slipped on his glasses. He knelt down to the ground and picked up some sand. Bad feeling. He definitely had a bad feeling.

The rest of the passengers walked out of the bus. "There's three suns," said one woman in wonder, "Three of them!"

"We're on another world," breathed one kid, who looked to be a bit older than eighteen.

"It's still intact," remarked the bus driver as he observed the bus.

The Doctor turned to Rose and Jenny and Rose smiled at him. "Another planet, and this one not by TARDIS, but by wormhole!" she said with her beautiful smile and the Doctor couldn't help but grin back.

"Can you still drive it?" a woman asked the driver. "No, no, no the wheels are stuck," he explained in frustration, "They're never gonna budge."

A few minutes later Rose was kneeling in the sand next to the Doctor as he observed the sand covered planet.

"Ready for any emergency," declared Christina coolly as she put on a pair of sunglasses. The Doctor turned to Rose and smirked a bit before taking off his own glasses and using the sonic on them. Rose raised her eyebrows in amusement as the lenses darkened into sunglasses.

"Me too," he told Christina. Rose laughed. "You think you're so impressive," she said cheekily. The Doctor grinned at her and pretended to be offended. "I am so impressive," he replied as he put on the brainy specs- turned sunglasses.

"So what's your name," Christina asked one, or both of them. "I'm The Doctor," he answered as he continued to examine the sand.

"Name, not rank," Christina said impatiently. "The Doctor," he repeated without looking up. Rose was starting to see why he liked to be introduced as 'The Doctor'. It was rather entertaining.

"Surname?" she asked again.

"The Doctor," he said again and Rose smiled at her. "I'm Rose Tyler, and that's Jenny," she said motioning to where the Doctor's daughter was similarly examining the ground behind them.

Christina nodded briefly at Rose before turning back to the Doctor. "You're called 'the Doctor'?" she asked dubiously.

"Yes I am," he replied, not really paying any attention, "What kind of sand is this?" he asked quietly to himself.

"That's not a rank; that's a psychological condition," Christina retorted.

"It's sand," said the Doctor curiously and Rose scooped a handful of the sand to inspect it herself. "But there's something else," he said slowly as he licked some of the sand. Rose rolled her eyes. Some things never change.

The Doctor made a face. "Not good," he said with a grimace, and Rose the sound heard Jenny laughing behind them.

"It wouldn't be, it's sand," said Christina with a hint of exasperation. Rose shook her head. "I can understand a door, but sand? Really?" she said referring to the incident at the Torchwood Estate, but she couldn't help but smile. Oh, how she had missed him so, so much.

"No, it tastes like . . ." the Doctor trailed off, "never mind," he said, standing up.

Jenny stared at the sand curiously. _Dad's right,_ she decided, _something's off about the sand._ Hesitantly she tasted the sand. She grimaced and spit it out. That was disgusting. Absolutely horrible. Not just the texture; it didn't taste like sand. Well, it didn't taste like Jenny had thought sand would taste like.

"I'm never doing that again," she muttered under her breath.


	16. Planet of the Dead part two

**Good grief, another episode where I have to repeatedly type the words 'group of passengers' and 'bus'. Oh boy. :p And also, I had to research the British money system (I'm an American) and so I may have gotten something wrong. Just a warning. ;) So I closed the poll and it looks like Jenny will be regenerating. For all of you 11****th**** Doctor fans, please don't let that stop you from reading this story. ****J**** If there are some scenes that you really love that you want me to incorporate into the story, just let me know (example: fish fingers and custard). ****J**** Since Jenny is regenerating I would like you guys to give me ideas as to whom you want to 'play' her. Thanks!**

** Enjoy!**

"Hold on a minute," said one kid as he walked up angrily to the Doctor, "you had that thing, that machine. Did you make this happen?" he asked, pointing to the bus.

"Oh, humans on buses. Always blaming me," he said with a groan, and Jenny raised her eyebrows. If she recalled correctly, they hadn't been too kind to her either.

The Doctor raised his hands defensively. "Alright, look, look," he said as the passengers stepped towards him, "if you must know, we were tracking a hole in the fabric of reality. It was a tiny little hole," he exclaimed, "but suddenly it got bigger and we drove right through it," he explained.

"Well where is it?" asked the driver, "There's nothing. Just sand," he said as he turned to look at the dunes.

Jenny watched with interest as her father purposefully walked behind the bus and scooped up some sand. "Alright," he said with determination, "you want proof?" he threw the sand and Jenny's eye's widened as the air rippled.

"That's what we drove through," Rose said, looking at the passengers.

"And that's . . .?" Christina asked skeptically. Jenny looked at her curiously. Out of all the passengers, she was taking the best. It wasn't that she wasn't shocked or disbelieving; she just wasn't letting it get to her. Jenny admired her for that.

"A door," the Doctor answered grimly, walking back to the small group, "A door in space."

"So what you're saying," began the bus driver, "on the other side of that is home? We can get through London through there?" he asked hopefully and Jenny shook her head.

"Not without protection," she said sadly. Now she really wished she hadn't left her Vortex Manipulator in the TARDIS.

"What are we waiting for?" said the driver eagerly, ignoring Jenny, "we're going home!" he exclaimed as her ran towards the wormhole. Jenny's eye's widened as she saw Rose quickly stopped him.

"Didn't you hear her?!" she asked him incredulously, "if you go in there, you're dead." Jenny breathed a sigh of relief. Group of passengers on a bus strikes again. This time it would be different, though. She heard her father mutter under his breath, "Good feeling. I've definitely got a good feeling about this one."

"But home's right through there!" he protested angrily, "do want us just to sit here and bake?" Disagreeing, not good. Very bad.

Rose sighed in frustration. "Watch this." She walked back over to Jenny's father. "Do you have something I can throw in?" she asked.

The Doctor looked at her incredulously. "Do expect me to just carry a bunch of junk around that you can just pitch into a worm hole?!" Jenny smirked, but said nothing. Who was he kidding? His pockets were bigger on the inside! Of course he carried junk around!

Rose, who apparently was thinking the same thing, smiled cheekily. "Of course I do. Pockets. Bigger on the inside. Do you think I'd forgotten? I haven't been gone that long," she said with a small laugh.

The Doctor rolled his eyes and grinned. "Oh, alright, you've got me. Here," he said tossing her something round.

Rose looked at it dubiously. "A peach? Will it work?"

Shrugging, the Doctor replied, "You're idea, try it," he encouraged with a smile. Rose turned and threw the peach (an object unfamiliar to Jenny) at the wormhole. As it vanished to the other side it was easy to see that the outside had been burnt off leaving only a small core.

"It completely burnt it," exclaimed the driver in shock, "that . . . that could have been me!" he moaned. The Doctor patted him on the back reassuringly.

"The bus was protecting us," Jenny's father explained, "great big box of metal."

"It's like in a thunderstorm, yeah?" asked one passenger, "They say the safest place to be is in a car, because it conducts the lightning right through." Jenny nodded in agreement.

"Do you think it's still strong enough?" Jenny asked, looking at the bus. It didn't look exactly wormhole proof.

"There's enough metal to make it work," he said confidently, and Jenny smiled at him.

"So we have to drive nine tons of bus, which is currently buried in the sand, and we've got nothing but our bare hands, and whatever you happen to pull out of your pockets, correct?" Christina asked pessimistically.

"Yes, I'd say you are correct," the Doctor said in a surprisingly cheery voice.

"Then we need to apply ourselves to the problem with discipline," declared Christina determinedly and Jenny grinned at her father with a cheeky grin. "Discipline. Do you think you can handle that Dad?" she asked in a teasing voice.

"We need to start with appointing a leader," said Christina with a smile.

"Yes, thank you, at last," said the Doctor in a no nonsense voice. Jenny looked at Rose and smiled. They both could tell where this was going.

"Well," said Christina with a smile, "thank goodness you've got me! Everyone, do exactly as I say." Jenny laughed at her father dumbfounded expression. Though, Jenny could see his point. What right did she have to assume leadership? Of course, that could also be said for the Doctor.

"Inside the bus immediately," Christina ordered coolly. Rose leaned over to Jenny and smirked, but remained silent. She didn't have to say anything though; they were both thinking the same thing: this was going to end up as clash of the control freaks. Brilliant. Just what they needed.

"Is it safe in there?" asked one passenger. "I don't think anything is safe anymore," answered Christina, "but if it's between baking in there, or roasting out there, I'd say baking is slower," she said with a smile.

"C'mon," she said to the passengers, motioning them inside, "all of you." She turned to the time-traveling trio. "That means you too," she said with a smug smile.

They nodded and walked obediently into the bus. Jenny looked at Christina curiously. "Do you think you can handle this," she asked her, "stuck on an unfamiliar planet, with a wormhole separating you from home?"

Christina halted for a moment and raised her eyebrows. "Who else?" Jenny shrugged, but said nothing. Maybe it would be good for her father's ego for a change.

* * *

As they stepped into the bus Rose turned and smiled to the Doctor. "You know, I bet you can't go one day without giving orders."

He frowned. "Of course I can. But why would I want to? I'm brilliant, and usually right, after all." Rose raised her eyebrows.

"Than prove it." She paused and thought for a moment as they took their seats. "Today no giving orders, or directions, or suggestions. Unless someone is in immediate danger," she added. Rose grinned mischievously. "Ten quid. Or do you think you can't?"

The Doctor sighed and looked at her. "Nothing at all? No imperative statements?" Rose nodded. "Unless someone is in immediate danger?" he asked in confirmation. Rose nodded again and grinned as she shook his hand.

Christina looked at them from her spot in the aisle. "If you're finished?" she asked impatiently. Rose shrugged. "Sorry," she said, not feeling particularly sorry at all.

* * *

A few minutes later Christina was still listing out the rules. "Point five: the crucial thing is do not panic. Quiet apart from anything else, the smell of sweat inside this thing is reaching atrocious levels," she continued primly, "and we don't need to add anymore. Point six: team identification. Names. I'm Christina," she said with a smile, "This man is apparently the Doctor and his friends Jenny and Rose," she said, pointing to each in turn.

They all smiled at the rest of the passengers. "And you?" Christina asked the young adult in the front. "Nathan," he said with a tired wave. "Barclay," says another boy of approximately the same age as Nathan. "Roger," answered the bus driver promptly. "Angela," replied one woman with a small smile, "Angela Whittaker."

Christina turned to the couple in the back expectantly. "Everyone calls me Lou," he said with a tired smile, "and this is Carmen," he said motioning to his wife.

"Excellent," said Christina with a smile, "memorize those names; there might be a test." Jenny rolled her eyes. This was getting them nowhere quickly.

She had heard the bet her father had made with Rose, and while she did think it might to him some good, as well as provide them with entertainment, this might not be the best time. After all, they were in the middle of a crisis.

On the other hand, it might give her an opportunity to make something of herself. Not that she, or Rose for that matter, had ever been damsels in distress, it would be nice to show her dad that she could be more than a side kick. Jenny knew it was childish, but she wanted her dad to be proud of her. Of course, who could blame her for wanting to prove herself to her father, savior of a thousand worlds?

While she had been deep in thought, Christina had turned the stage over to the Doctor. He had just begun to explain that it was just an accident, but was interrupted by a nervous looking Carmen. "No," she said, "that thing, that doorway, someone made it for a reason," she said anxiously glancing out the window.

Jenny's father looked at the woman curiously. "How do you know?" he asked gently and Jenny looked over her seat and watched with interest.

Carmen smiled shyly, but said nothing, so Lou explained. "She's got a gift," he said with a smile, "ever since she was a little girl. She can just . . . tell things. We do the lottery twice a week," he said with a smile. Jenny smiled at the couple. Possibly a low level psychic ability; that was new.

"You don't look like millionaires," Christina said skeptically.

Lou shook his head. "No, but we win ten pounds. Every week, twice a week: ten pounds," he explained gently, "tell me that's not a gift." Jenny turned back around and smiled softly to herself. _I can see why Dad likes this species so much. He admires them. _

"Carmen, how many fingers am I holding up?" the Doctor asked curiously. _How many?_ Jenny asked her father silently. _Three, _he replied promptly.

"Three," Carmen replied confidently, then, "four." The Doctor looked impressed.

"Good," he said, "low level psychic ability, amplified by an alien sun," he sat down and looked at the woman with a serious expression on his face. "What can you see Carmen? What's out there?" he asked her gently.

Carmen furrowed her brow in concentration for a moment. "Something is returning," she said urgently, "riding on the wind, shinning." Jenny wondered if the woman was talking about something related to their current situation . . . or something else.

"What is it?" Jenny's father asked her, looking slightly frightened.

"Death," she said quietly, "death is coming."

"We're gonna die," moaned Angela, and Jenny stood up quickly. "No!" she shouted urgently, "Do. Not. Panic. Everyone, please don't panic. We have to stay calm and think with our heads. Don't jump to conclusions."

"Exactly," said Christina coolly, "Panicking won't get us anywhere." Jenny sat back down and sighed in relief. For now the 'leader' agreed with her. That was good.

"Angela," Rose said gently, turning to the woman who was on the verge of hysterics, "where are you supposed to be? I mean, where was this bus supposed to take you?"

Angela shrugged, "Doesn't matter now," she said hopelessly. Jenny smiled gently at her. "Of course it does," she said encouragingly.

"Just back home," she said sadly, "to Mike, and Suzanne, that's my daughter, she's eighteen," she said through tears. The Doctor put a hand on her shoulder. "Hold . . . no, remember . . . no, never mine. We'll get you back to them, I promise," he said, looking Angela in the eye. She nodded tearfully.

"What about you?" Jenny asked Barclay. It was important to remember what you were going home to. It gives you hope.

Barclay shrugged. "I don't know. To Tina's, I suppose." "Girlfriend?" the Doctor asked. "Not yet," he answered with a smile and the Doctor grinned.

"Nathan, what about you?" Jenny asked curiously. "I lost my job last week," he said mournfully, "I was just gonna stay in and watch TV." "Brilliant," said the Doctor with a smile.

"What about you two?" he asked Carmen and Lou. "I was going to cook," he responded. "It's his turn tonight," Carmen added, "then I clear up." "What's for tea?" the Doctor asked. "Chops," Lou responded, "a nice couple of chops and gravy. Nothing special," he said with a shrug.

"Of course it is!" Jenny protested with a smile, "Very special."

"Roger, what were you going to do after work?" the Doctor asked the bus driver. The old man shrugged. "I was going to pack. I was supposed to leave tomorrow to visit my grandson for the week." Jenny smiled at the older gentlemen comfortingly.

"What about you, Christina?" Rose asked with a smile. Jenny had to admit, she was curious as to what this mysterious girl clothed in black was up to.

"Oh," said Christina, and Jenny thought she looked a bit uncomfortable, "I was going far away," she finished with a sigh.

"Far away, chops and gravy, watching TV, Mike and Suzanne, grandson, and poor old Tina," he said with a smile. He paused a bit, and Jenny could tell he was trying to talk without giving an order. "That," he said finally, "is what gives you hope: holding on to the memory of what you're sure you'll never see again," he said, glancing briefly at Rose.

"'Cause that planet with its three suns and wormholes and aliens, is nothing, _nothing, _compared to food, home, people. We're gonna get there, I promise," he said earnestly.


	17. Planet of the Dead part three

**I still need you guys to give me suggestions as to whom should portray Jenny, just as a reference point for my brain. ****:) ****Thank you all for reading and reviewing! Please review; I would love to know if you guys think I'm keeping everyone in character. ****:)**

**Enjoy!**

Well, it could be worse. All they had to do was get the bus to work. Death didn't seem imminent. That was good.

Of course, slightly less good was that bet he'd made. Very stupid. Of course he did it for a good reason; he had been a parent before, and he could tell that Jenny wanted to prove herself. Not that she had to. The Doctor already knew his daughter was brilliant.

Oh, who was he kidding? Yes, Jenny was part of the reason he'd accepted the bet, but the real reason was Rose. She smiled her beautiful tongue in teeth smile, and what was he supposed to do? Say no? 'Your wish is my command Roes Tyler,' that's what he'd said in his last regeneration, and it still seemed to be true.

He loved her, of course he did. He loved her more than he could possibly say. But he couldn't tell her. Because she would still die. She would still wither away in front of him. Someday, she would come to resent him for taking her away from her family, from a chance at a normal life. When she realized what she was missing. When she realized all he couldn't give her.

But for now the Doctor would enjoy every moment with her as her best friend, until the day she left him. And then maybe he would be okay when she left. Loving her would hurt him too much.

* * *

A few minutes later the Doctor and Rose were leaning against the bus as they watched Jenny and Christina give orders. "They make a frightening team, don't they?" the Doctor whispered to Rose.

Rose laughed. "An ex-soldier and a control freak. Almost as bad as Jenny and Donna; I don't think you'll ever win an argument again with those two around," she whispered back with a smile.

The Doctor laughed. Actually, he could never win an argument against Rose, let alone his daughter and Donna.

The Doctor looked in surprise as Christina pulled a shovel out of her backpack so Barclay could dig up the tires.

Jenny raised her eyebrows in surprise. "You really are prepared for anything, aren't you?" she asked with a grin.

Christina smiled proudly. "Of course," she answered smugly. The Doctor shook his head and grinned. A shovel in a backpack. Almost like a peach in a pocket. Okay, maybe not _quite_ the same, but still, very impressive.

Rose frowned nudged him with her shoulder. "That's odd, isn't it?" she whispered, "just carrying around a shovel?" The Doctor shrugged.

"Got anything else in there?" he asked Christina curiously. Like maybe something to get the bus moving?

She smiled and pulled out a small hatchet and handed it to Nathan. "That should help with the seat," she said as a reply.

"And an axe," Rose whispered, "Why carry all that stuff around?" The Doctor thought she might have point. Of course, she usually did.

"Actually, I believe the correct term is 'hatchet'," he corrected absently and Rose rolled her eyes. "But maybe she was camping, or going camping," he whispered.

"In the middle of London?" Rose whispered skeptically. Another good point.

"I don't know!" he said with a frustrated sigh, "and honestly, not our biggest problem," he said drily. Rose conceded with a reluctant nod and the Doctor felt a bit proud of himself. He just won an argument with Rose Tyler without giving a single order! Well, maybe it wasn't so much a victory as a 'we'll discuss this later' but still!

"Do I start it now?" shouted Roger from the driver's seat.

"Start it up!" Jenny exclaimed with an enthusiastic smile. The bus sputtered for a few seconds before dying. Jenny sighed. "That doesn't sound right," she said with a grimace.

Roger laughed weakly. "No, no it doesn't. Let's take a look," he said, getting out of the bus and walking towards the engines.

The Doctor, Rose, Christina, Roger, and Jenny all peered at the now sandy engine. "You know what's worse than losing the top deck," said the Doctor with a groan, "sand." He rand his finger along one of the pipes that was covered in the not quite right sand.

"The engine's clogged up," moaned Roger unhappily. _Well, _the Doctor decided, _definitely a bad feeling about this one._

Christina ran to the other side of the bus. "Anyone any good at mechanics?"

"I am," said Barclay, "I did a two week course at the garage. I never finished it, but," he said with a shrug.

To the Doctor's surprise Jenny grinned. "I could use some help," she said, motioning to the engine, "I'm not familiar with something this sort of engine."

The Doctor wasn't sure why he was surprised, after all, Jenny had been able to fix the TARDIS. Mostly fix the TARDIS anyways, but for not knowing how, she did a brilliant job.

"Back in two ticks," said the Doctor as he and Rose walked off further into the desert. "Wait a second!" cried Jenny, "if you're going to leave, I'm coming too!"

No, Jenny. Stay here. This could be dangerous. I'm only taking Rose because she'd just follow me anyways. You have engines to fix.

_I can take care of myself! I'm one hundred seven! Barclay can handle this, _exclaimed Jenny inside his head.

_I didn't realize you heard that, _he said with a grimace.

"I think I can handle this," said Barclay hesitantly, as if reading Jenny's mind. The Doctor groaned. Bad feeling, very bad, bad feeling!

"Doctor, she may be your daughter, but you can't protect her from everything," said Rose softly, "Besides, it's just a desert. Nothing too bad, I hope!"

"That's settled," said Christina with a smirk, "Jenny and I will both be coming. You're the man with all the answers," she explained, "I'm not letting you out of my sight."

The Doctor sighed in defeat and walked off, knowing Jenny and Christina would follow no matter what he did.

* * *

"You know it would be easier if you left that backpack behind," the Doctor suggested. He was beginning to see Rose's point. That backpack was very interesting. Not bigger on the inside interesting, but still, it was just as mysterious as its owner.

"Where I go, it goes," Christina stated as an explanation.

"Your backpack has a spade and a hatchet," said Rose, and the Doctor could hear her thinly veiled suspicion, "and you said you were going far away." Ooo. She was deducing again.

"And the sirens," Jenny added, "you seemed frightened of them," she stated, but it was more of a question.

"Who are you?" the Doctor asked curiously. His first guess would be some sort of outlaw or runaway.

"You three can talk," Christina said with a smirk, "let's just say we are equal mysteries." _We've been perfectly honest!_ cried Jenny indignantly in his head, _Sure we haven't given them our life stories, _she conceded, _but at least we've told them what we're up to._

The Doctor could only mentally shrug in response. "We make quite a team," he remarked out loud.

"I don't do teams very well, thank you very much," Christina replied primly. Very interesting indeed. "C'mon then," she continued with a bit of impatience creeping into her voice, "if Carmen's right, and that wormhole isn't an accident, then what is it? Did someone do this on purpose?"

"I don't know," the Doctor answered, "but every instinct is telling me to get off this planet right now." More specifically, he wanted to get Jenny and Rose off this planet right now.

"Have you got a plan?" Jenny asked her father. He was about to answer 'yes I have a plan: get us off this planet' but was interrupted by an un-lady like snort of laughter from Rose.

"The Doctor doesn't make plans, he just sort of . . . wings it," she said with a cheeky grin. He grinned back at her.

"So our lives are in the hands of a man who 'wings it' and his two friends?" Christina asked incredulously.

The Doctor shrugged and looked at her. "You're in charge," he reminded her, "I'm not even allowed to give orders! So I would say the lives in the passengers are mostly in the hands of you, Jenny, and Rose. But . . . not in that order." Christina rolled her eyes. "I live in hope," he added.

Christina halted. "That must be nice," she muttered quietly, before holding out her hand. "It's Christina de Suza," she said and the Doctor reached out to shake her hand, "To be more precise, Lady Christina de Suza," she added, and the Doctor raised his eyebrows.

"Oh, that's nice," he said. Normally, he would say something about him being a Lord of Time, but decided he didn't really want to impress this girl. Of course, it might create some needed distance between him and Rose, but last time he did that, Rose had almost gotten killed, and she didn't speak to him for days.

No, best just let thing stay the way they are.

Christina studied him for a moment. "You know, there's something about you three. That device you were carrying, and the wormhole, like you knew," she said and the Doctor could practically see her piecing it together, "And you called Jenny your daughter. On the bus. And the Harry Potter movies. You're way too young to have a daughter her age, anyway."

Jenny smiled and shrugged, "I'm adopted," she stated, but Christina didn't look convinced.

"Equal mysteries," Rose said with smile. The Doctor grinned and nodded in agreement before walking off. "Allons-y," he said cheerfully, and grinned when Christina replied in French.

The walked over one dune and saw a huge cloud on the horizon. "What a storm," Jenny breathed in awe. The storm was huge; it was tall, it was thick, and it was wide. A very impressive storm, indeed.

"That must be a hundred miles away," said Christina confidently, gazing at the cloud.

"Getting closer," the Doctor responded grimly. Yes, he was pretty sure it was a bad feeling he had.

"Doctor, how long 'till it gets here?" Rose asked in concern. Too soon, that's for sure.

"Who knows?" he replied with a shrug, "At the speed it's moving, it won't be very long."

Christina looked nervously at the storm. "If that's a sandstorm, we'll get ripped to shreds!" she exclaimed.

Jenny looked at her oddly. "What makes you think it's sand?" The Doctor inhaled sharply. Of course, he's reached the same conclusion, but to hear it out loud made it just a tiny bit worse than it already was.

He reached for Roses hand and turned back the way they came. "Run?" she asked with a grin.

"Oh, yes," he answered with a smiled, and all four of them ran back to the bus.

* * *

Jenny breathed a sigh of relief as they got back to the TARDIS. "Rose, I need to make a phone call," the Doctor said urgently, "do you have your super phone?"

Rose smiled and pulled her cell phone out of her pocket. The Doctor reached over to grab it from her, but she just hid it behind her back. "Rose, this is an emergency, I need to make a call," he insisted.

"My phone, I can do it," Rose said with a mischievous grin, "just tell me who to call." Jenny raised her eyebrows. Oh, she was good. The Doctor would say something like 'call Donna' and just like that he loses the bet. _Very clever, Rose, _Jenny thought with a grin.

Jenny's father sighed and relented. "Alright, fine. Call-" He stopped in midsentence. "Rose Tyler, that is cruel! Actually, no that is very, very clever. But, it's not going to work," he said cheerfully.

Rose just rolled her eyes in mock annoyance. "Anyways," continued the Doctor, "Do you have UNIT's number? You do right?" Rose nodded, her serious, Torchwood agent mode coming through.

"This is the Unified Intelligence Taskforce," said a recorded message over speakerphone, "please choose one of the following options." Rose just rolled her eyes and held a button.

"What did you do?" asked the Doctor in bewilderment.

Rose shrugged. "Just held down zero. One of Dad's tricks," she explained with a hint of wistfulness. Snapping herself out of it, she looked at the phone, "It gets you to a real person."

"Excellent," praised the Doctor, "brilliant as always," he said fondly. Jenny smiled at the pair of them. They really were close to each other, and in such a short time she'd become close to each of them as well.

"UNIT helpline, which department would you like?" asked a professional sounding, friendly female voice.

"This is Rose Tyler," said Rose in a serious voice, "I'm with the Doctor. _The_ Doctor," she said with emphasis.


	18. Planet of the Dead part four

**To the helpful guest who I keep forgetting to reply to who reviewed about Ten and Jenny regenerating: While that is a good idea to have the Time Lords help them out, I think it works better with the story to have one of them regenerate. Second, I think it sounds rather out of character for the Time Lords, but that may just be me. ****:) ****Also, it would be a travesty (wow, big word there, good job JadeJedi :p) to get rid of the 'Fish fingers and custard' scene. I'm definitely keeping that, in some shape or form. ****:)**

"Miss Tyler," said the voice of a soldierly sounding woman, "this is Captain Erisa Magambo. Is the Doctor there? I need to speak to him," she ordered and Rose handed the phone over to the Doctor.

"She wants to speak to you," she informed him with a cheeky smile. He rolled her eyes and Rose inwardly grinned. It felt so good to be here. Sure, they might be in danger on an unknown alien world, but still, a few months ago Rose would have been willing to face the Beast if it meant she could see the Doctor again. Now not only had she seen him, she was traveling with him and his amazing daughter, and brilliant companion Donna. The danger now seemed like a very insignificant detail.

"Captain Magambo," said the Doctor, "hello!" he said in his usual manic manner.

"Doctor, might I say, it is an honor," she said in an almost reverent sounding voice. Rose raised her eyebrows in amusement. She had met Magambo in a few parallel worlds, and she could tell the usually unfazed-able captain had just saluted. To thin air.

"Did you just salute?" the Doctor asked suspiciously. Both Rose and Jenny couldn't help but laugh when the woman paused, but eventually denied the claim.

"Erisa, it's about the bus," he said his tone becoming serious, "HQ said you're at the tunnel, yeah?"

"And where are you," she asked, her tone purposefully confirming the Doctor's question.

He glanced at Rose and Jenny with a worried, almost protective expression for a second before answering. "I'm on the bus, but apart from that, not a clue. Except it's dangerous," he added, peering out the windows.

"Something seemed to have come through the worm hole," the UNIT Captain stated in a concerned tone, "what was it? And have you sustained any fatalities?"

The Doctor shook his head. "It was just a test, no worries. We're all fine," he replied, "but I'm stuck; I haven't got the TARDIS and I need to analyze that wormhole."

"We've got a scientific adviser on site, Doctor Malcom Taylor," Magambo said hesitantly, "just the man you need; he's a genius."

Rose and Jenny shared an amused glance as the voice of Dr. Taylor came over the phone. He seemed rather in awe of the Doctor and Rose thought it made the mighty Time Lord uncomfortable. "I can hear everything you're saying," he said in a slightly annoyed tone.

"Hello, Doctor?" Malcom said a bit nervously, "Oh my goodness!" he exclaimed. Rose knew he hated to be admired like this; he thought of himself more as a murderer than anything. Certainly not a hero.

"Hello, Malcom," the Doctor replied easily, ignoring the man's gushing. After a few moments of excited exclamations the Doctor moved to the front of the bus to look out the window. "Malcom, I've got a storm and a wormhole. I want to know if they're connected." He paused and motioned Jenny over.

Obviously understanding what her father needed Jenny stood next to him and leaned over the phone. "Malcom? I'm Jenny, the Doctor's daughter. Can you do a full scale analysis on that wormhole?" she asked.

"Well, I've probably got the wrong idea," he began nervously, "I've wired up an integrator. I thought it could measure the energy signature," he explained, almost apologetically.

"No, no, no, that will never work," the Doctor said with a shake of his head.

Rose walked over so she could hear the conversation better. "The storm's showing up, though. I'm getting a reading of fifty Malcoms per second."

"Malcoms?" Jenny asked curiously.

"It's my own little term," Malcom explained and gave a short explanation that Rose didn't follow, even after her years with the Doctor and at Torchwood.

"You named a unit of measurement after yourself?" the Doctor asked in mild amusement.

"It didn't do Mr. Watt any harm," Malcom said and Rose could practically hear his shrug, "and furthermore," he continued with another string of scientific babble.

"Is there anyone else I can talk to?" the Doctor asked in frustration, and Rose gently slapped his shoulder.

"Being rude again," she whispered, "he's just trying to help." The Doctor was full of contradictions. He hated people to look at him as better than them, yet he thought it was perfectly fine to be rude. Of course, everyone had their flaws. It's what makes each person unique.

"No, no, but listen!" Malcom explained and spouted off on another confusing explanation. Apparently it was something good, because the Doctor and Jenny looked amazed. "You can actually measure the wormhole?" Jenny asked incredulously, "Malcom, that's brilliant!"

"I'll admit, that is genius," the Doctor said with a grin.

"Call when you've finished!" Jenny ordered cheerily. She then hung up the phone and the Doctor ran out of the door. Rose grinned at Christina, who had been listening intently to the conversation, before running after her Time Lord friends.

They walked and walked through the sand until they once again could see the storm. Jenny was watching the storm through the screen of Rose's video phone. Her father was recording the storm so Malcom could analyze it. "Hold on," Rose said in confusion, "that doesn't look like sand." Jenny looked up in surprise and looked out at the quickly moving cloud and to her surprise saw something reflective.

Christina nodded in agreement. "I see something shining." Why was there something reflective in a storm cloud?

"It looks like metal," the Doctor observed in a confused tone.

Jenny watched as Christina looked around in confusion. "Do you hear something?" she asked, "There's a sort of noise," she added, trying to locate the origin of the sound. Jenny paused and concentrated and realized she too heard a sound.

"Jenny," Christian said suddenly, "look. Over there," she instructed, pointing to one of the dunes. Jenny turned in that direction and saw an alien figure holding what looked like a weapon

"We're in the Scorpion Nebula," the Doctor informed Jenny, Rose and Christina, "on the other side of the universe." He looked at the information the probe had brought back. It was very fortunate this lot crashed here. Well, fortunate for the humans (and Time Lords) anyway. The 'fly creatures' as Christian called them, had been very generous and had let Jenny send out a probe, after they had determined the passengers of the 200 had not committed a crime against their species.

The Doctor watched as the ship's computer zoomed in on the picture. "We're on the planet of San Helios," he said, looking at the planet that looked quite a bit like Earth.

"We're on another world," Christina breathed with a smile. The Doctor grinned at the mysterious woman. No matter how mysterious, he loved to see people's expressions of awe when they saw something completely new.

"Pretty amazing, isn't it?" Rose commented with a grin. "Wonderful," agreed Christina with a sincere smile.

The Tritovores explain that they were coming to trade with the population of the planet, which the Doctor relayed to his friends. The image then change to a picture of a beautiful looking city, full of skyscrapers, temples, and flying cars.

"It's beautiful," Christina said, "but you three have seen this sort of thing before," she reasoned. She looked at them oddly for a moment. "Where are you from?" she asked curiously.

"Rose is from London, but Dad and I come from a race called Time Lords," Jenny explained before he could speak, "He was born on their home planet of Gallifrey, but I was 'born' on Messaline," she said lightly, but the Doctor could tell something about that statement was bothering her. He wasn't sure if she was uncomfortable with the fact that she was just an 'echo' or if it were something else, but he decided to leave it be, at least for the moment.

"You two are aliens?" Christina asked in disbelief, before adding uncertainly, "you look human."

Jenny smirked at her. "You look Time Lord," she said with a laugh, "We came first."

"So we just need to find the city, yeah?" Rose asked hopefully. The Doctor looked over at his Tritovore friends and then back at Rose before shaking his head. "Didn't think so," Rose said with a wry grin, "that would be way too easy."

"We're in the city," he realized grimly. The Doctor heard Jenny's sharp intake of breath as she realized what must have happened to the city.

He turned to the fly creatures. "That picture was taken in one year," he said, and this discovery completely confirmed his belief: he had a bad feeling about this.

Jenny and Christina sat on the edge of the tunnel that lead to the core of the ship as the Doctor and Rose went to fix the shafts. Within moment of their departure Christina brought a harness from her backpack and Jenny's eye's widened as she realized what the girl was going to do. She was going to go down into the tunnel to get the crystal to save them all from the metal stingrays, as the bus was out of petrol.

Jenny found herself liking this girl more each minute.

"I would suggest that I do that," Jenny told Christiana as the ever more mysterious girl hooked herself to a winch, "but it would be useless wouldn't it?"

Christina smirked. "You're right there."

_Jenny, any progress?! _asked her father urgently in her head. Deciding not to mention Christina, Jenny informed him that nothing was happening.

"Let me get this straight," said Christina, "you need this crystal?" Jenny nodded. "Then consider it done," she said with a grin. Jenny shook her head and laughed. This girl was daring, smart, calm, prepared. Jenny wondered if she would like to see all of Time and Space.

_Dad, we've got it covered. Actually, Christina's got it covered, _Jenny informed her father.

_What do you mean?_ Her father's voice paused for a moment. _Christina! Jenny, are you insane?! Stop her!_

"The aristocracy survives for a reason," Christina said to Jenny as she prepared to jump, and at the same moment the Doctor and Rose came running into the room, "We're prepared for anything."

"Everyone inside now!" Jenny ordered as they ran up to the bus. Her father was urgently removing the crystal Christina had barely escaped with her life to get. Jenny knew was, in this situation, useless, but Christina had grabbed something with the crystal; something very, very important.

"What does that do?" Christina asked curiously. "Nothing," Jenny said as her father threw it into the sand, "what we need are those," she said, nodding to the claw like metal objects. The Doctor handed one to each Jenny, Rose, and Christina.

"Put, them on the tires. Rose: left front. Dad: left back. Christina: right front." Jenny ordered and ran to attach her clamp to the right back tire.

"What are they for?" Rose asked as they all dashed, panting for breath, back into the bus.

"Do they turn the wheels?" Christina asked.

"Something like that," the Doctor replied as he began to fasten the last clamp to the steering wheel. "Have you got a hammer in that backpack?" he asked Christina.

Christina pulled out a hammer and handed it to Jenny's father, who tossed the phone to Jenny. She hit the redial button. "Malcom, this is Jenny."

"I'm ready," he said. Jenny's brow furrowed in confusion. "Ready for what?"

"I don't know!" Malcom exclaimed, "You tell me!"

"Right, well Malcom, Dad found a way back, but there might be some metal stingrays of death following us. You need to find a way to close the wormhole," she ordered urgently.

Malcom told her he had what they needed. "Malcom, you are brilliant!" she exclaimed happily, "Dad says so too!" They were very, very close to getting out of this one.

"Coming from you two that means the world," Malcom said gratefully.

"That wormhole is now measuring ten miles," Magambo informed Jenny. Her heart sank. This was getting worse by the second. "I need to know the exact nature of the threat. What do you mean by metal stingrays?" Magambo asked.

Jenny looked at her father who shook his head. "Sorry, uh, I have to go," she said and ended the call. She handed Rose her phone and helped her father attach the clamp to the wheel. It didn't take very long, but when they tried to turn the wheel nothing happened.

"It's not compatible," Jenny's father groaned, "Spaceship, bus; bus spaceship. I need something to weld the two together."

"Like what?" Rose asked urgently.

"Something noncorrosive, something malleable, something ductile. Gold," he said with dawning realization and looked at Christina, who they had earlier discovered had stolen a very valuable artifact made of pure gold and was sitting in her backpack.

"Oh, no you don't," said Christina warningly.

"It's not worth anything now!" Jenny exclaimed with a bit of exasperation. She was pretty sure lives were worth more that thing!

Barclay came up to the front holding a watch. "Hey, you can use this!" he exclaimed. "Is that gold?" Jenny asked dubiously, and Barclay confirmed that it was.

"They saw you coming," Rose said with a smirk, "Christina!" Hesitantly Christian pulled out the artifact.

"It's over a thousand years old worth over eighteen million pounds. Promise me you'll be careful," she asked the Doctor as she handed it over.

"I promise," the Doctor replied as he set the Cup upside down on the dashboard. He took the hammer and began whacking the cup, quickly denting it and Jenny's eyes widened.

"I hate you," Christina told the Doctor with a disbelieving smile.

"What is it with you and saving the world using priceless artifacts?" asked Rose with a shake of her head, "First the Koh-I-Noor, now this," she said with mock exasperation.

"Hold on tight," warned Jenny. The Doctor glanced at his daughter and Rose and grinned at them.

"Shouldn't . . . shouldn't I be driving?" asked Roger hesitantly from the back.

"Alien technology," the Doctor responded, "definitely not."

He began to start the bus up and she began to shake and groan. "One last trip, c'mon," he urged the bus. As the bus began to rise up slowly in the air he smiled in relief. "Anti-gravity clamps, didn't I say?" he asked Rose with a grin. He turned the bus around as the metal stingrays came into view.

"Doctor!" Carmen warned, "They're coming!"

"Do you think this bus will survive the journey back?" Christina asked over the noise.

"Only on way to find out!" he shouted back. He looked anxiously at Jenny and Rose. This had better work. He would never forgive himself if something happened to them.

"Next stop, planet Earth!" Jenny shouted.

After only a few moments of flying clumsily through the wormhole they came out on the other side and flew into the night sky.

"Malcom, Jenny. Close that worm hole!" his daughter ordered.

"Yes ma'am! My pleasure, ma'am!" Malcom responded eagerly. After a few seconds it was clear something was wrong, but the Doctor couldn't do anything! He couldn't give orders! "Dad," Jenny said frantically, "if Malcom needs help, I don't know what to do!" The Doctor groaned.

Rose, who apparently had been reading his mind, handed him his phone. "Imminent danger," she said grimly, "do your thing."

Breathing a sigh of relief the Doctor called Malcom and quickly gave his the instructions.

"Doctor, it's coming for us!" Nathan warned and the Doctor turned just in time to see a metal sting ray come up next to the bus.

"Oh, no you don't," he muttered, and turned the bus in order to knock the creature out of the sky.

Suddenly, the sound of gunfire ceased. "Did I say I hated you?" Christina asked with a smile, "I was lying." The Doctor grinned at her and gently landed the bus and was greeted by the applause of UNIT soldiers.

All the passengers quickly walked out of the bus and the Doctor, Rose and Jenny were greeted by a very enthusiastic Malcom Taylor. "Doctor, Jenny, Miss Tyler," said Magambo with a smile as Malcom walked away, "I salute you, whether you like it or not," she said with a salute and the Doctor shook his head.

"I take it we're safe from those things?" Magambo asked. "They will keep generating more wormholes," Jenny informed her, "but Dad can probably direct the wormholes to uninhabited planets."

The Doctor nodded in confirmation. "I'll see what I can do." He paused and looked over at Nathan and Barclay. "Those two boys, good in a crisis," he informed her, "Nathan needs a job, Barclay's good with engines. Privates Nathan and Barclay. UNIT's finest. Don't you think?" he asked Rose and Jenny, who nodded their agreement. Hopefully something good would come out if this, and jobs seems like a good start.

"I'll see what I can do," Magambo said. She turned around and pointed to something covered in canvas. "Oh, I've got something for you," she said with a smile, and the Doctor saw his beautiful blue TARDIS sitting there, waiting for them.

"Better than a bus any day!" he exclaimed with a laugh and walked up to the Old Girl. "Hello, Old Girl," Rose said happily, "Miss us?"

"Now, I've got three dead alien stingrays, I don't suppose you'd fill out the paperwork?" Magambo asked.

"Not a chance," the Doctor told her, and she laughed. "Till we meet again," she said with a smile before walking off.

The Doctor, Jenny, and Rose were inspecting the wood for any scratches or dents when Christina ran up to them. "A little blue box, just like you said," she said with a smile, "Well then, off we go; show me the stars."

The Doctor shook his head sadly. "No." _Dad!_ exclaimed Jenny, _she was great on San Helios, why not?_

"What?" asked Christina in shock, "but I saved your life, and Jenny's life, and Rose's life," she protested.

The Doctor looked at her and smiled. "You did. You were brilliant Christian de Suza. Thank you."

"But we're surrounded by police, I'll go to prison," she protested. The Doctor nodded.

"Don't you want me to come?" Christina asked, looking at the three of them.

Rose looked at her sadly. "Not my ship. But, Doctor, what's wrong?"

The Doctor sighed. "When people travel with me, I ruin them. Look at you," he said looking at Rose, "You lost your family because of me. Martha's family was imprisoned for a year, she became solider. I can't ruin someone else's life," he explained sadly.

Seeing that Rose was about to protest he shook his head. "Don't disagree with me. You know it's true. Where would you be if I hadn't come along? Happy, with your mum and Mickey, not traveling with me because the TARDIS is the only home you've got now."

_Alright,_ said Jenny sadly in his head. She turned to Christina. "They're coming for you. But look. That bus doesn't need keys." Christina frowned for a moment before she smiled in understanding and ran off toward the big red flying bus.

"Doctor," called Carmen, "you take care of them," she said seriously.

"Oh, of course I will!" he exclaimed, looking fondly at Jenny and Rose.

Carmen shook her head. "You're song is ending," she told him, "but you must be careful," she warned and the smile slipped off the Doctor's face.

"What do you mean?" he asked.

"They have returned," Carmen said looking at Rose and his daughter, "Your song is ending. But be careful; something else is returning, returning through the dark. And then, oh but then . . . he will knock four times." She turned to Jenny. "Everyone returns home in the end," Carmen stated and Jenny looked at her in confusion. "The Wolf will howl," she continued, looking at Rose in concern, "and the Demons will Run away."

The Wolf? No, the Bad Wolf was years ago, gone now. What did she mean? And 'your song is ending' didn't sound too pleasant either.

"Doctor, what did she mean?" Rose asked with a frown and the Doctor could see that both Jenny and Rose looked a bit shaken.

"I don't know," he replied grimly, "but I don't think it will be long before we find out."

**Yes, yes I know I went very quickly towards the end, but seriously, it was taking FOREVER to write! I hope you were able to enjoy it anyways though. ****:)**** Sorry I haven't updated in so long, homework is my main excuse. :/ I will address the bet in the interlude that will be the next chapter, so don't worry about that. ****:)**


	19. Interlude- Wadgers and Self Rescuing

**So for Jenny 2 my friend and I have narrowed it down to either Bonnie Wright or Rachel Hurd-Wood. Tell me what you think. ****:)**** Also in The Waters of Mars do you want Donna to return, or should I hold off 'till the End of Time? **

** Now, I'm not really sure about this chapter, but I wrote it to address something that I find a bit annoying. In Doctor Who if the Doctor's companions find themselves in life threating danger the Doctor has to save them. His companions are brave, independent and smart, but yet he expects them just to wait patiently (sometimes for 5 ½ hours) until he can find the time to save them. Why can't they save themselves? (This is one of the things I love about Amy: she is NOT a damsel in distress, ever.) What would have happened if Rose had gotten stranded in Pete's World and she just shrugged and said "I'm just going to sit here and wait. The Doctor will save me." I have a bunch examples of companions having to rely on the Doctor, but this note has become way too long as it is. : P **

** Enjoy!**

Jenny was walking the halls of the TARDIS looking for the kitchen a few days after the San Helios incident. She had started the Harry Potter series and found it rather difficult to put down, but even Time Lords needed to eat sometime. She'd only been searching for the elusive room for a few minutes, but if it took too long, Jenny thought it was fair to assume that the ship didn't want her there.

Thankfully though, she found the room after only a few more minutes of searching. Jenny paused before opening the door as she heard laughter coming from the other side. She peered in through the door and found her father and Rose sitting comfortably at the table.

". . . owe me ten quid," Jenny's father was saying with a triumphant grin. Jenny stepped in as Rose sighed in mock resignation.

"I guess I do. Actually, no I don't," she said correcting herself with a smile, "you never paid me after Scotland, 1879. I guess that makes us even," she said with a cheeky grin.

As Jenny walked to the table, they finally seemed to notice she was there. "Jenny!" her father exclaimed happily, "there you are!"

Jenny shook her head and looked sternly at her father. "Were you just about to win the bet?" she demanded with a smile.

"Well . . . yes," he said in confusion, "One adventure, no orders except in imminent danger."

Jenny shook her head and turned to Rose. "All forms of orders?"

"I s'pose," Rose said with a shrug. "Wait. What do you mean by 'all forms'?"

Jenny's grin widened. "Well, it's just that I was wondering if orders via telepathy count, because I definitely remember a very stern voice that sounded remarkably like my father saying 'stop her'," she casually told Rose.

Rose looked at the Doctor with an amused smile. "All orders," she agreed with a laugh, "Doctor, I won! Twice in a row!"

"Oh come on!" the Doctor said with indignantly, "that doesn't count!" He looked between the two blondes and realized he was beat. _Very wise move_, Jenny thought to herself.

It didn't take _too_ long to convince the Doctor that he had lost and he couldn't go one adventure without giving an order. Jenny knew he had tried; he had done very well, actually. But it was just his nature: the Doctor was a bit of a control freak. _Is that so bad? _Her father asked in her head.

Jenny inwardly groaned. _You heard that?_

_No, I can see it on your face. Why is it bad? I've saved lives. What would have happened to the earth without me?_

_ Doesn't matter. You need to be in control. What would you do if you lost your control?_

_Teenagers!_

_I'm one hundred seven! Almost one hundred eight! _

_Like I said, teenager._

This whole conversation lasted only a moment, but Jenny felt just a bit frustrated with her father. He was great, and she looked up to him, and admired him, but as a soldier Jenny realized the benefit of taking orders and not always being in control. Sometimes, no matter how good a person's intentions, or how smart they were, it was better not to be in complete control all the time.

* * *

The Doctor was lying beneath the console making repairs a few hours after losing the bet to Rose. There wasn't really anything that needed to be fixed, but it was comforting all the same, just to have a bit of routine in life.

"So Old Girl," he began absently, fiddling with loose wires, "have you got that sonic screwdriver I asked you to make?"

He felt a hum of confirmation in the back of his head and grinned. He slowly got up (to make sure he didn't bang his head on the way up) and saw a screwdriver on the console, near identical to his own, only completely silver.

He examined it carefully and switched it on and it glowed a bright green. "Wonderful," he said quietly, gratefully stroking the console.

The new sonic screwdriver was a gift for Jenny. He wasn't sure if she would want one, but he thought he'd at least offer. Yesterday he'd also managed to buy some more psychic paper for his daughter. The Doctor knew that having to rely on her father for rescue was the last thing Jenny would want, and after all, maybe she had a point (if a very, very small one) about him being a control freak.

Grinning happily to himself he was about to set off to find his daughter, who was probably reading somewhere, when something else on the console caught his eye.

"What's this?" the Doctor murmured to himself. He realized with surprise that is was another sonic and another sheet of psychic paper. "Now what could these possibly be for, Old Girl? What are you up too?" he asked his ship suspiciously.

_For my Wolf, and the loud one. _The Doctor raised his eyebrows in surprise. "Wolf? What do you mean, wolf? Do you mean Rose? Well, she's not the Bad Wolf anymore; can't imagine why you'd call her that. And who's the loud one? Donna? That's a bit rude," he told his ship, who hummed in amusement.

He stared in confusion at the items in his hands. This new sonic was gold with a blue light and a bit longer than his. "I've never given a companion a sonic before," he muttered to himself. He'd never needed too; after all, he'd come to their rescue before and he would keep coming to their rescue.

Of course, Rose, Jenny and Donna were hardly ordinary companions. Rose and Donna were his best friends. The two beings in all the universe he knew he could talk to, no matter what. Jenny was his daughter, the girl he taught about the Time Lords, and their history. He had told Jenny about the Untempered Schism and the Citadel and everything. She was the only one who filled the empty spot in his head where the voices of his people used to be.

Those three were absolutely amazing. Did they really need to sit and wait for him to rescue them like a prince saving the damsel in distress? Probably not. Besides, he was hardly a prince. The Doctor began tinkering on the console again as he continued thinking.

For as long as he'd travelled, his travelling companions had always relied on him to come up with the brilliant plans to save them, as well as the universe. It was always 'Yes, Doctor; No, Doctor; Save me, Doctor'.

But look at Donna! When she decided she wanted to find him, she hadn't just waited for him to come to her, she searched and investigated the little things like the bees disappearing. When Jenny had passed out in the burning TARDIS Donna hadn't needed him to come up with the plan; she figured out how to get Jenny to safety all on her own. Then when Jenny had dropped the gun on the Crucible, Donna had fired without hesitation.

Jenny was amazing; took after her father, obviously. She had lasted for over one hundred years without him, then she'd built that non-lethal gun to stop Davros, she fixed the TARDIS and saved the universe. Sure, she'd needed a bit of help, but still, she was just a teen by Time Lord standards.

And Rose, his wonderful, brilliant pink and yellow Rose. She had crossed whole universes all on her own to find him. She had taken things into her own hands and had found him again. 5 ½ hours is how long he'd told her to wait on that spaceship with the windows to France. But honestly, what if that was too long next time? Should he make her wait strapped to a table, waiting for him to rescue her? What if he never came?

But of course, that was ridiculous. He always came, and he always would. He was just lucky like that; he was always on time. _So you're going to risk the lives of your friends because of luck?_ asked a little voice in his head.

It may be very unusual to give his companions, but then, so were his friends. He looked at the golden sonic and the psychic paper that was in a brown wallet similar to his own and smiled a little. Trust his TARDIS to think of just the right things. Rose already had psychic paper from the . . . incident at Torchwood, and Donna wasn't really into unlocking doors and such, but the Doctor figured she'd find good use for psychic paper.

Making up his mind the Doctor stuck the second piece of paper in his pocket to give to Donna when they picked her up again and he determinedly grabbed Jenny's sonic and psychic paper as well as Rose's sonic and left the console room to find them.


	20. The Waters of Mars part one

**Ahhh! So sorry I haven't updated in so long! School is horrid. :/ This chapter is fun to write, but it is a bit of a challenge, so if you have any suggestions or comments, don't be afraid to review. :)**

**Enjoy!**

Several months after the events of San Helios the Doctor, Jenny, and Rose set out for a vacation. They had dropped Donna back off on Earth after almost being killed by a giant pink flower on what the Doctor and Jenny had claimed to be 'a perfectly harmless planet'.

The Doctor had told Rose that he had a special trip planned, but he needed to pick something up, so they went to the fifty first century to pick up two space suits. Rose smiled as the three of them piloted the TARDIS to this surprise destination.

Rose had a few instruments that she operated while the Doctor and Jenny ran about the console (despite being slightly hindered by the bulky space suits) doing their thing. The flight was a lot smoother now, but it was even better when Donna was here.

Rose loved to fly the TARDIS. There was no way she could fly it on her own, but she was determined that one day she would, now that she had two teachers. Well, one and a half really, since Jenny still was learning as well. It was an amazing feeling, though, to fly through time in space inside a dimensionally transcendent time ship.

"So," Rose asked the Doctor with an excited smile, "where are we?"

The Doctor ran to the door, flinging it open and grinning at them. "Welcome to the Red Planet!" Rose stepped out onto a red, rocky desert landscape. It was beautiful, in a rustic kind of way.

"This is . . . fantastic!" she exclaimed with a grin, using her first Doctor's word and she turned to the Doctor. "We're on Mars!" she exclaimed with an excited laugh and the Doctor grinned at her.

"Jenny, what do you think?" the Doctor asked his daughter who had up until this point remained silent, taking it all in.

"Very red," she said at last. The Doctor's face fell a bit and Jenny laughed.

"I'm kidding!" she said reassuringly, "it is . . . amazing. I have to say, this is definitely my favorite star system."

"Me too," the Doctor agreed with a soft smile. "So, shall we explore?" he asked cheerily, and Rose nodded enthusiastically. The perfect vacation. No danger, no plots, no schemes, just the Doctor, her and Jenny. _Perfect,_ she thought with a contented smile.

* * *

After about an hour of wandering lazily around the three time travelers came upon some sort of base. There was one large central dome with six tunnels coming out of it; five led to smaller domes, and one led to a rocket.

"Brilliant," said her father happily, and Jenny couldn't help but agree. Despite not being particularly high tech, at least compared to what Jenny was used to, this base did say something about humanity. It showed their determination, because not matter how many times they were invaded or attacked by aliens, or told life outside the earth doesn't exist, they kept looking, and looking, and look, see what they found.

"Look at us, we finally get to space," Rose said with a quiet smile.

"TURN AROUND," ordered a mechanical voice and the Time traveling trio froze. "SLOWLY. YOU ARE UNDER ARREST. GADGET, GADGET." They turned around as ordered and saw a robot of some sort holding a scary looking weapon. Well, actually, it wasn't too bad, but any gun looked scary when it was pointed at you.

"Well," said Rose with a weak laugh, "I haven't been arrested since I got back. I was getting worried you'd gotten dull."

* * *

The group of time travelers were escorted to a very 'sci-fi' room. It was all white with computers and controls all over the big room. "State your name, rank, and intention," ordered a very soldierly looking woman who was pointing a gun at Jenny, the Doctor, and Rose.

"The Doctor, doctor, fun," stated Jenny's father first and Jenny and Rose both laughed, but stopped when the woman holding the gun glared at them.

"Jenny, no rank, exploration," Jenny answered in her soldier voice.

"Rose Tyler, former agent of the Torchwood institute, trouble," she said, and Jenny could tell she was having a difficult time keeping a straight face. They all were.

"What the hell?!" exclaimed a dark haired man as he burst into the room. "It's people! People on Mars. How?" he demanded.

"They were wearing these," said a blonde woman with a German accent, "I have never seen anything like them," she said in bewilderment.

"What did mission control say?" asked the dark haired man.

The German woman shook her head. "They are out of range for ten hours because of the solar flares," she explained helplessly.

"You can cut the chat out everyone," the woman holding the gun ordered sternly.

"Actually, chat is second on my list," the Doctor told her, eyeing the gun warily, "the first being the gun. Pointed at my friends. And me. So actually they go second, then I go third, which puts chat fourth," he told her, not taking his eyes of the woman with the dangerous weapon.

"Gun, friends, head, chat, yeah," he counted off thoughtfully, "Actually I hate lists, but seriously, you could hurt someone with that thing." Jenny rolled her eyes. Trust the Doctor to state the obvious.

"Doctor," Rose hissed, "I think that's sorta the point." The Doctor shrugged.

"Put the gun down," Jenny said slowly.

"You'd like that wouldn't you?" the woman scoffed. Well, maybe that wasn't the best thing to say, but Jenny knew from experience that it was far from being the worse.

"Yeah, well, can you find someone who wouldn't?" Rose shot back angrily.

The woman with the gun looked at them suspiciously. "Why should I trust you?" she demanded.

"'Cause I gave you my word," Jenny's father replied matter-of-factly, "and so many miles from home, a word is all you've got."

Jenny held her breath as the woman looked at them for a moment before lowering the weapon. "Alright," she conceded, "but keep Gadget covering them," she ordered a younger looking man, who was wearing some sort of gloves and standing next to the robot that had arrested them.

"You control that thing," the Doctor said in realization, "auto glove control."

"You got it," the young man agreed. He moved his right arm and the robot mirrored his motion. "The right," he moved his left arm with the same result, "and the left.

Jenny noticed sparks flying off the robot and she smirked. "Doesn't look to reliable," she observed and the young man only glared at her.

"Gadget, Gadget," said the robot.

Jenny's father looked distastefully at the robot. "Does it have to keep saying that?" he asked.

"I think it's funny," the young man growled, and the Doctor groaned.

"He hates funny robots," Rose informed them with a smile, and Jenny wondered if there was a story behind that.

"Excuse me, boss," said a female voice thought the com system, "but I heard we have extra people on sight. How's that possible?"

The woman who had been holding the gun was responded tersely. "Keep the bio domes closed, and when using an open com, call me Captain," she ordered.

"Yeah, but . . . who are they?" the person on the other voice asked. The captain said nothing.

* * *

"They have to be independents," a man said, pacing back and forth. Rose watched as they tried to puzzle out who they were. Wouldn't they be thrown for a loop when they realized the Doctor and Jenny weren't even human!

"Was it the Branson Inheritance lot?" the man asked them, "They've been talking about an expedition to Mars for years."

Impatiently the Doctor whirled around to face their interrogator. "Alright, yes, you've got me," he said impatiently, "I'm the Doctor, like I said, and this is Jenny and Rose," he said, introducing them each in turn.

"Who are you? Captain what?" Jenny asked curiously.

"Oh, come on," the Captain scoffed, "We're the first off word colonists in history; everyone on planet Earth knows who we are." Rose's eyes widened. The very first humans on Mars. Rose's level of respect for them suddenly increased dramatically.

"The first," the Doctor whispered and he looked at each colonist in shock. Rose turned and saw Jenny wearing an expression of shock and horror.

"The very first humans on Mars," he said and Rose could hear the dawning realization in his voice. Rose looked at her friends oddly. She would have expected them to get star struck, not look as if they'd seen a ghost.

"Then this must be," said Jenny in wonder, "Bowie Base One," she, the captain, and the Doctor all said at once. The Doctor took a few steps back and Rose walked up to him in concern, her hand automatically finding his.

"You've been here how long?" the Doctor asked, still looking shocked.

"Seventeen months," the captain replied, and Rose heard Jenny's sharp intake of breath.

The Doctor nodded and Rose thought he looked even more concerned now. "2059 then," he stated, "It's 2059 right now."

Rose looked at him. "That's good, right? I mean, first people on Mars, I'd have thought you'd be thrilled." The Doctor shook his head and Rose wondered why not. Was because of the crew? Were they doing something wrong? Or . . . was something else wrong? The Doctor had repeated the date like it was a bad thing. Rose wondered if something bad was going to happen right here sometime soon.

"Ah!" the Doctor exclaimed, "My head is so stupid! You're Captain Adelaide Brooke!" He turned to another crew member. "And Ed! You're Deputy Edward Gold!"

As the Doctor and Jenny named the other crew members Rose tried to recall something she had read, near the beginning of her travels.

~~flashback~~

Rose sat in the library, comfortably curled up on the couch, reading a book on humans in space that had been, or would be written in the 40th century.

_For centuries humans looked to the stars, hoping someday to discover their infinite mysteries. In ancient times astronomers . . ._

Rose skipped ahead a bit, to the part about Mars.

_The first humans to step foot on another planet were the crew of the Bowie Base One in the year 2058 . . . This first colony was led by Captain Adelaide Brooke and they stayed on Mars for seventeen months . . . Near the end of 2059 something terrible happened to the base . . . The specifics of this incident will never be known, but what is certain is that Brooke ordered the Base to be self-destruct, killing all its inhabitants. _

~~end of flashback~~

Rose gasped as she remembered who these people were, and what was going to happen to them very soon.

"As I said Doctor, everyone knows our names," repeated Brooke.

The Doctor looked almost sympathetic. "They'll never forget them," he said solemnly. Rose looked around anxiously. Her travels with the Doctor, and her work with Torchwood had taught her a thing or two about time, and she knew enough to know that people can't mess with pre-established events. So, they should get out of here. Quickly.

On the other hand, who knew when the trouble was going to start? It might not begin for weeks. A couple of hours wouldn't hurt. Though, if anything started to look fishy, Rose knew that the Doctor would pull them all out. Fixed points, and all that.

"Um, sorry," Jenny said with an apologetic smile, "but what's the date today? The exact date?" Rose watched the Doctor's face, hoping to read his reaction.

"November 21, 2059," Brooke said slowly, also gauging their reactions. Rose saw a look of horror pass over the Doctor's face for only an instant.

"Right," he said with a nod, and Rose saw him look at all the crew members once again, and Rose could tell that this must be very close to the end of Bowie Base One.

"Is everything alright?" the German woman Jenny had identified as Steffi asked suspiciously. No, everything, was not alright. Sure, they could very easily just leave, but the fact still remained: these people, these heroes, were going to die. Today.

"What's so important about my age," Mia asked uncomfortably, referring to the Doctor's statement, 'you're only 27'.

"Uh, well, I need to talk to my friends, if you don't mind," said the Doctor with false cheerfulness as he pulled Rose and Jenny over to a corner of a room.

"Dad, can we help them?" Jenny desperately whispered, "We can right? We can save them?" Rose felt her heart clench as the Doctor shook his head.

"We can't do anything?!" Rose asked in disbelief. These people were heroes; they couldn't just die here due to mysterious events!

"We can't," he said regretfully, "it's a fixed point in Time. It must always happen." He looked at Rose hopefully. "It's like with your father. If we change something, save one life, bam! Reapers!" Rose shuddered at the memory but nodded after a moment in understanding.

"We have to leave," she told him in agreement. No matter how hard it was, Rose had realized in 1987 that sometimes what is right and what is easy, or what seems right doesn't always match up.

"We can't just leave them!" Jenny protested vehemently. The Doctor put a hand on his daughter's shoulder.

"Jenny," he said urgently, "close your eyes. Can you feel it? Can you feel all the different possibilities?" Jenny did as he asked and then nodded reluctantly. "Then you can feel why we can't interfere. You can feel the fact of this day and its events. You've probably felt it before: that gut instinct that is screaming at you not to interfere; it's telling you to get out."

Jenny reluctantly nodded again. "But, we can't just . . . leave them behind," she protested weakly after a second. The Doctor groaned in frustration.

Rose understood what she was feeling, because she felt it too. These people were going to die, and no one wanted to leave innocent people to their doom, but they had to, or else many more would die.

"Jenny, Rose, I'm sorry," the Doctor said firmly, "but we have to leave." The two women nodded.

The Doctor turned to face the crew. "We really should go," he said apologetically. "We're sorry, with all of our hearts," he continued as they walked to the exit, and Rose briefly wondered how they would get out without their space suits, "but it's one of those very rare times when we've got no choice. It's been an honor," he finished smiling at last.

He then did what Rose had expected him to do and went around shaking everyone's hand. "Wait," Jenny said in confusion as he did, "where are the other two? Margret Cane and Andrew Stone?"

Ed walked over to the computer. "Maggie," he said with a smile, "if you want to meet the only new humans you'll see for the next five years, you'd better come up," the second in command informed Maggie.

The only response was a sort of growling sound coming from the speakers that didn't sound at all friendly.

"Ohhh," the Doctor groaned nervously, "we really should go."

Rose watched curiously as they crew found that the cameras in the bio dome had been disconnected. It seems that the mystery of Bowie Base One was about to get a bit more mysterious.

* * *

"I'm going over," Adelaide stated firmly. "Doctor, Jenny, Rose, with me," she ordered.

The Doctor shook his head, but walked over to the group of colonists. This was bad; this was really, really bad. Fixed points were not to be messed with and they were standing on a BIG one right now.

"I'm sorry, we'd love to help, but we're leaving," he said in a flustered voice. He looked anxiously at his daughter and Rose. He couldn't stay; there was a nuclear explosion imminent and he was here with his daughter, whom he'd just recently discovered wasn't dead, and his . . . Rose, whom he'd been separated from for a couple years. He was not going to let them stay in a place that was going to be blown up in a matter of hours.

"Take their space suits and lock them up," Adelaide ordered Steffi. "This started as soon as you three arrived, so you're not going anywhere, except with me" the woman told him firmly. The Doctor's heart sank. So . . . not . . . good. On the other hand, they were about to solve a mystery! The mystery of Bowie Base One!


	21. The Waters of Mars part two

**Does anyone realize how hard it is for a Star Wars fan to write 'robot' instead of 'droid'? It's like trying to break a bad habit. :p **

**Enjoy!**

Tarak and Adelaide led the Doctor, Rose, and Jenny to the bio dome. Each dome was connected by a dark, metal, eerie looking corridor. The Doctor's mind was racing as he tried to determine what might be happening here on Mars, how he could get Jenny, Rose, and himself off this planet, and if there was any way to stop the Base from blowing up without ripping a hole in Time.

"Mia's age, why does it matter," Adelaide asked as they fast walked to the bio dome, "what did you mean?"

"Oh, uh," the Doctor stuttered nervously, trying to come up with a response.

"He was just impressed," Jenny lied smoothly, and the Doctor looked at his daughter gratefully. "Who wouldn't be?" she continued, this time with a genuine smile, "a woman that young making it to Mars . . . wow." Adelaide nodded, accepting their answer for now.

"GADGET, GADGET," said the awful robot in its awful funny robot voice. "I hate robots," the Doctor said with a roll of his eyes. "Did I say?" he asked sarcastically.

"Yeah, and he's not too fond of you," Roman Groom, the junior tech said petulantly, "What's wrong with robots?"

"Frankly, I agree with the Doctor," said Rose with a laugh that the Doctor thought sounded fake, "I don't like 'em much either. Big, metal, emotionless . . . things," she added with a small shudder. The Doctor looked at her in concern.

"It's not the robots, it's the people," the Doctor explained after a moment, "dressing them up and giving them silly little voices. It's like you're reducing them," he finished with a scowl.

"Yeah," said Roman conversationally, "I know what you mean. I had a friend who dressed her domestic robot like a dog. But I adapted Gadget from the worker drones. Those things are huge. They built this place when the shell was lowered down from orbit. They've got a strength capacity of-"

Adelaide cut him off. "This channel is open for principal communications only," she chastised him.

"Sorry."

"I've read a lot of stuff about you Adelaide, but one thing they never said: was it worth it?" the Doctor asked. Could it be that seeing new worlds was worth losing your family, your life? More to the point was _he _worth giving up a whole life? Of course, Adelaide wasn't going to answer that last question, but still. He glanced at Rose for a moment.

"We've got excellent results from the soil analysis," Adelaide answered, dodging the question.

The Doctor shook his head. "No, but they say that you gave up everything. Devoted your whole life to get here."

"It's been chaos back home," Adelaide said, "Forty long years. Climate and ozone and the oil apocalypse, we almost reached extinction," she said in disbelief.

The Doctor was pretty sure he heard Jenny whisper to Rose, "Oil apocalypse?" "I don't know! By this time I haven't been down there in what? Fifty years?"

"And to fly above that," Adelaide continued, not having heard Rose's comment, "to stand on a world with no smoke, where the only straight line is the sunlight. Yes," she finally answered with a smile, "it was worth it."

The Doctor grinned. "There's the Adelaide Brooke I always wanted to meet. The one with starlight in her song."

Suddenly a lump became visible just a few yards away. A suspiciously human looking lump. The Doctor felt his hearts drop as they ran up to her and found Maggie lying on the ground unconscious with a bloody gash on her forehead.

"It's Maggie," Adelaide breathed in horror.

Rose and Tarak knelt by the woman. "Don't touch her!" the Doctor warned.

"Maggie, can you hear us?" Rose asked gently, but to his relief, didn't touch her, instead Tarak rolled the limp woman on to her back.

"She's still breathing," Dr. Tarak informed them. "Yuri," he said into his communication device, "I've got Maggie Cane, head trauma. I'm going to need a full med pack."

"I've got it," said Yuri, "med pack on its way."

To the Doctor's relief it didn't take long for Yuri and Ed to come with the med pack. "Don't touch her," the Doctor and Jenny warned in unison.

"Do as they said," agreed Tarak. Sure, now he agrees not to touch her, "Get her to the sick bay. Put her in isolation," he ordered.

"I'm going on to the bio dome," Adelaide stated, "Tarak with me, Yuri can take care of her. Ed, back to the dome, Gadget stand guard and keep an eye on this area."

"Captain, you're going to need me," Ed protested calmly, "Andy is the only other crew member out here. If this wasn't an accident, then he's gone wild."

"You deserted your post, consider that your official warning," Adelaide said coldly, "now get back to work." Ed didn't look at all pleased, but he said nothing.

Adelaide began walking towards the bio dome. "Doctor, Jenny, with me. Rose, you can go with Yuri," she called over her shoulder. Rose glanced at the Doctor, who nodded.

"Captain," came Steffi's voice over the communications device, "that sound, I've run it through diagnostics, and according to the computer, it's . . . it's Andy," she said with a hint of fear. "It registers as the voice print of Andy Stone." Adelaide stiffened noticeably.

"Understood," the captain said, "Double check, thanks."

The Doctor looked at Jenny. This was bad, very, very bad, but he couldn't help but think that this was great, brilliant, fantastic, molto bene! He was talking to _Adelaide Brooke. The_ Adelaide Brooke. Jenny smiled at him reassuringly. He smiled back, because he could tell that she was just as thrilled as he was.

"Air pressure holding," Tarak said, pulling the Doctor out of his musings. The door to the bio dome opened to reveal a beautiful outer space garden full of trees and bushes and vines and flowers.

"Andrew?" Adelaide called hesitantly, "Andrew Stone? It's Captain Brooke. Andy, report, I need to see you. Where are you?" she called.

The Doctor walked up the computer and used the sonic. The lights flickered on. "There you go," he said proudly.

"What's that device?" Adelaide asked warily.

The Doctor showed her his perfectly harmless sonic screwdriver. "Screw driver," he answered.

Adelaide rolled her eyes. "Are you the Doctor, or the janitor," she asked sarcastically.

"Oi," Jenny said indignantly, "I have one too, you know; a screwdriver doesn't automatically make us janitors." The Doctor smiled, mildly amused at his daughter defense of the tool she hadn't been too fond of until she had one of her own. She already had a setting for cleaning mirrors.

"You stay with me," Adelaide ordered him, "Jenny, you go with Tarak. Tarak, keep an eye on her. Go make sure the doors are still intact." The Doctor didn't like the idea of being separate from his daughter in a potentially dangerous room on a certainly dangerous base, but he didn't see what he could do about it, so he said nothing.

Well, nothing aloud. _Jenny,_ he warned, _be careful. _

_Sure, Dad,_ she replied and he could practically see her roll her eyes in his head.

The Doctor walked up to a particularly beautiful pink flower. "Quite an achievement," he said in admiration, "the first flowers on Mars in over ten thousand years." Ahh, humans. They were like a breath of fresh air. So determined, so strong, so . . . human.

To his surprise he heard the sound of birds chirping and he looked up to see small song birds perched in the rafters. "You've got birds!" he exclaimed in astonishment.

Adelaide shrugged. "It's part of the project," she exclaimed, "they keep the insect population down."

"Captain, good news," said the voice of Yuri through the communications device, "it's Maggie. She's back with us," he announced happily.

The Doctor looked over at Adelaide. "Ask him of Rose is okay," he asked a bit more nervously than he'd like. Adelaide looked at him like he was crazy, but did as he asked.

"Rose wants me to tell you that she is not fine at all. In the five minutes it took us to get to the med bay she unearthed a closet full of . . . Daleks?" responded Yuri uncertainly, but the Doctor could hear the amusement in his voice. He was also pretty sure he heard a muffled _thud_. "Ow," complained Yuri, "Apparently, I wasn't supposed to tell you that I was under instructions."

The Doctor grinned, but Adelaide rolled her eyes and frowned. "Yuri, how many times do I have to remind you people? This channel is not for mindless chatter! What about Andy? Was he alright?" Adelaide asked.

"I don't know," came the sound of Maggie's bewildered, "I just . . ."

"If you remember anything, tell me," the captain instructed gently. "And keep the coms clear," she ordered, her voice becoming stern once again, "All communications come through me."

* * *

Jenny and Tarak were making their way through the surprisingly large bio dome looking for Andrew. Both were carrying torches and calling for the missing man. It didn't take too long for them to stop at the sound of trickling water.

They turned and found the source: Andy. He had his back turned to them and he was soaking wet; water was pouring off him.

"There you are," Tarak said in relief and began walking towards him. Jenny shook her head and laid a hand on his arm.

"I don't think we should," she warned, "Look at him. Doesn't anything about his appearance strike you as odd?"

Tarak shrugged. "He's fine. Andy, you alright?" Andy said nothing. "Andy," Tarak called again, but didn't walk any closer, "Andrew, look at me," he ordered. Finally Andy turned around and Jenny and Tarak jumped in surprise as he faced them.

Something had obviously happened to him. His eyes were now a grayish color with small black pupils, and his mouth was . . . cracked with water coming out of it.

"Run!" Jenny ordered, and Tarak nodded numbly, running back to the corridor that connected the bio dome to the main dome. They didn't even notice he'd dropped his communications device until it was too late.

* * *

Rose was standing next to Maggie, separated by a window, as Yuri was watching a recording, presumably of one of his family members. "Is that your brother?" Maggie asked kindly.

"It's only a repeat," explained Yuri," the solar flares are still up." He looked at Maggie in concern. "Are you okay?" he asked the recovering crew member in concern.

"Yeah," Maggie replied with small smile. Rose looked at her sympathetically. Twenty four hours stuck in the med bay under quarantine would be torture for her. The few times she'd ended up in Torchwood's med bay even for just a couple of hours had been bad enough.

"You'll be out and about in no time," Rose told Maggie with a gentle smile, "back to the gardens." She looked thoughtfully at the woman. "I never got to see what it looked like. The bio dome, I mean," Rose clarified. "I bet it's beautiful."

Maggie grinned proudly. "Oh, it is," she confirmed with a hint of wistfulness.

Rose's eyes widened in concern as Maggie started to shudder and convulse. "Maggie," she called in concern, "are you alright?"

Yuri looked away from his video and rushed to the window. "Maggie!" he exclaimed, "Maggie! What's happening? Can you hear me?" Just as suddenly as it started, Maggie stops shaking and her shoulders slump, hiding her face.

Rose almost didn't notice as Yuri reached for the door. "No!" she exclaimed suddenly , and Yuri jumped back like he's been burned. "You can't go in there," she warned, slightly nervous herself, "Look at her. It might not be safe," she whispered harshly. Yuri didn't look completely convinced, but nodded and back away from the door.

"Where does your brother live?" Maggie asked suddenly, still not raising her head.

"By . . . by the Caspian Sea," he stuttered in surprise. Rose watched suspiciously.

"Near the sea," Maggie repeated, and water her water began to slowly trickle out of her mouth, "Earth has so much water."

"Maggie," Rose called hesitantly, "that's no you, is it?" When she got no response she turned to Yuri. "Contact the Doctor and Adelaide. Tell them what's going on. Now!"

"We should like that world," Maggie said in a deep voice that was not her own, and suddenly she looked up and Rose jumped back in horror. Maggie's face was cracked, as if it was dried up, but it couldn't be; water was trickling over it, and out of it.

"Captain, Doctor," Yuri called nervously through his communications device, "Maggie's condition has changed. It's water . . . just water, pouring out!"

"Yuri calm down," Adelaide said, taking it all in stride, "just tell me what's happened to her."

Yuri took a deep breath. "Her face, it's sort of . . . broken, out of the mouth, and she's exuding water, like she's drowning," he finished, his voice becoming slightly panicked.

* * *

Jenny and Tarak had run to the med bay as fast as they could, barely out running Andy. They burst through the doors panting, trying to catch their breath, only to realize Maggie was in the same condition. "What are you doing here?" Rose demanded in concern, "I'm not exactly sure if it's safe in here," she said cautiously.

"No better than where we were," Jenny retorted with a sad shake of her head, "Andy is in the same condition." Rose nodded, and walked over to Yuri, who looked rather shaken.

"You alright?" Rose asked him. He nodded.

"Yuri, tell the Captain we're okay," Tarak ordered, "I dropped my comm." Yuri did as Tarak asked and Jenny smiled as she heard the relief in her dad's voice. He was so over-protective at times.

* * *

The Doctor and Adelaide reluctantly decided to head to the med bay, since Jenny and Tarak already knew Andy's condition, and Maggie was showing the same symptoms.

"Close down all water supplies, Adelaide ordered after seeing that Maggie was contained, "don't consume anything. Have you got that everyone? That's an order. Don't drink the water. Don't even touch it. Not one drop."

The Doctor observed Maggie carefully. "Can you talk?" he asked her curiously.

"She was talking earlier," Rose informed him as she walked up to him and threaded her fingers through his, "even after she'd . . . changed." So, maybe it just didn't want to talk.

Jenny walked up to the glass and turned to the Doctor. "Humans are sixty percent water, right? So if these things are made of water . . ."

"That makes them the perfect host," the Doctor confirmed grimly.

"But why?" Adelaide asked in frustration. This was hard. One of the hardest things he'd ever done. Standing here, talking to these people that he admired so much, and knowing they were going to die, probably because of these things, and there was nothing he could do.

"Hopefully we will never know," the Doctor muttered under his breath. "We have to go," he said in a louder voice, "because whatever started here, we can't see it to the end," he said sadly, and gripped Rose's hand a bit tighter.

"Do you think she can get out?" Jenny asked, eyeing the door and thin glass window warily.

The Doctor shrugged. "Water is patient. It can wear down cliffs and mountains. Water always wins."

"The moment she heads for the door we evacuate, got that?" Adelaide ordered.

"Her pulse is low," Tarak said, looking at her vital signs on the computer monitor, "but her brain waves are going crazy."

"Maggie can you hear me?" Adelaide asked. "Do you know who I am?"

Maggie slowly turned to face her. "I'm your commanding officer, Captain Adelaide Brooke," Adelaide continued, "Can you tell me what happened?"

Deciding to act on a long shot the Doctor spoke to Maggie briefly in a language she might understand. Her eyes widened and she turned away from Adelaide and face him.

"What language is that?" Ed asked, astounded.

"That was Ancient North Martian," Jenny informed them. "Not one of my strengths, unfortunately. Thankfully, I have a wonderful translator," she said with a grin referring to the TARDIS, but to anyone else the Doctor knew it looked like she meant him.

"Don't be ridiculous," scoffed Adelaide.

"It's like she recognized it," Ed said curiously, staring at the creature behind the glass.

Rose nodded in agreement. "Wait, hold on. Look at her eyes, Doctor. They look almost normal." The Doctor looked closer and could see that it was true.

"Looks closer to human," he observed. That could be good. Maybe it could be reversed. Oh, wait. Even if it could, it wouldn't make a difference. Everyone would still die.


	22. The Waters of Mars part three

**As I'm sure you've noticed I haven't exactly been very good about updating, but I promise to update at least 2, maybe 3 times a week. Thank you all for reading! Please leave a review, I love to hear your thoughts and suggestions!**

**Enjoy!**

"Where do you get your water from?" the Doctor asked, turning to Adelaide.

"The ice field," the captain answered promptly, "that's why we chose this location; we're right on top of an underground glacier."

"So . . . whatever has happened to Maggie and Andy was caused by the water, yeah?" asked Rose, not looking away from Maggie.

Yuri shook his head in confusion. "But that water is filtered. It's clean, it's safe," he protested.

"Looks like it, yeah," the Doctor shot back drily. There was nothing more annoying than a being who couldn't accept the evidence when it was staring them in the eyes. In this case, literally staring at them.

"Something must have been frozen," Ed mused, "a viral infection hidden down there for all those years."

"Look at her mouth," the Doctor said, leaning towards the glass to get a better look, "all black, like there's some sort of fissure. This thing, whatever it is, it doesn't just hide in water; it creates water."

"How do you suppose it does that?" Tarak asked curiously.

"I don't know," the Doctor replied with a shrug. Honestly, it was not his main concern. His main concern was getting out of here, but he didn't think that would be happening soon, unfortunately.

"What do you want," Jenny asked inquisitively, and Maggie slowly turned to stare at her.

"Doctor," Rose began slowly, "earlier, she was talking, about Earth. She said that she wanted it."

"A world full of water," Yuri added fearfully. The Doctor nodded. That at least, made some sense. It might also be another clue into the mystery of Bowie Base One.

* * *

"Captain, with me," Ed said, casting a wary glance at Maggie over his shoulder as they walked away. Jenny supposed Rose's comment about the creatures wanting Earth had unnerved him, and rightly so. These creatures didn't seem friendly, and if they wanted the planet they probably wouldn't worry about who they killed to get it.

Because of what her dad called 'superior Time Lord biology' Jenny could easily hear the conversation between Ed and Captain Brooke.

"It's an unknown infection, and it's spreading. That calls for Emergency Action One," Ed informed the Captain.

"You think I don't know that," she demanded coolly. Jenny wondered what Emergency Action One was. Nuclear already?

"I think you need reminding," Ed responded in the same cool tone. Captain Brooke paused for a moment before responding.

"Yeah," she whispered finally.

"Well, at least I'm good for something," Ed joked, but his serious tone took away all humor.

"Now and then," Captain Brooke agreed, and Jenny could hear the slight smile in her voice. Jenny wondered if they would be able to get out of here before Captain Brooke ordered that the base be destroyed, or if they would die here with the crew.

"Sorry, sorry," said Jenny's father as he and Rose ran up to the captain and first mate, "but Action One means evacuation." Jenny felt a bit of relief. So at this point, at least, death was not imminent. That was good.

"We're going home," Captain Brooke confirmed. "This is Captain Brooke," she spoke into her communication device, "I'm declaring Action One. Repeat to all crew members, this is Action One with immediate effect. Evacuate the base." Almost immediately alarms started to blare all throughout Bowie Base One.

After a few minutes Captain Brooke spoke into the com device again. "Steffi, how long will it take to pack everything else," she asked.

"It's a nine month trip, almost an hour," Steffi replied apologetically. Jenny frowned. An hour might be too long. Andy was still in the bio dome, who knew if he could get out, and Maggie could probably get out any second.

"You've got twenty minutes," Captain Brook replied curtly. "Give me an update on Andy," she ordered.

"He's just . . . standing there," Steffi said nervously.

"Keep an eye on them," Captain Brooke instructed warily. Jenny had to agree with her wariness. Maggie seemed to be waiting too, which begs the question: what are they waiting _for_?

Jenny watched the crew frantically run around the med bay, preparing to evacuate. _What do we do? _Jenny asked her father.

_Hold on a sec._

He walked over to Captain Brooke. "There's only one problem," he began grimly, and Captain Brooke cut him off before he could finish.

"Your space suits will be returned to you," she told him reassuringly.

"Those things are clever," the Doctor said with a shake of his head, "it didn't infect the birds or the plants in the bio dome, and it chose the humans, and I told you Adelaide, water can wait."

"You don't always change right away," Rose added thoughtfully. "Like with Maggie."

Jenny's eyes widened as she realized the meaning behind those words. "Any of you could be infected," she said slowly, horrified.

"We've all been drinking the same water," Captain Brooke confirmed with a nod.

"And if you take that back to Earth . . ." the Doctor said sadly, trailing off, "One drop. Just one drop."

"But we're only presuming infection," Captain Brooke protested, "if we can just find out how this thing got through; when it got through-" she didn't finish her sentence. "Yuri! Continue with Action One."

Jenny closed her eyes and she could practically see how this was going to play out. It wasn't just a guess; it was timelines. Someone else would get infected and Captain Brooke would realize the Doctor was right. There's only one way to stop the infection from getting to Earth. Action Five. And everyone would die.

It wasn't fair. But as much as Jenny hated it, she knew it had to happen. Because she knew that some points were fixed, and no matter how much you wanted to fix them, you can't.

"Right, then we should leave," the Doctor said with a sigh, "finally. No point in us seeing the ice fields." Jenny realized that that's probably where Captain Brooke had gone. Apparently, she'd been too caught up in her thoughts.

"Adelaide!" the Doctor shouted and he grabbed Rose and Jenny's hand and pulled them out of the med bay at a run. Jenny couldn't help but laugh silently at her father. It was just so . . . him.

It didn't take long for them to catch up with Captain Brooke, who was running full speed. "All I'm saying is bikes!" Jenny's father exclaimed, "Little fold away bikes! Don't weigh a thing!" Jenny glanced across her father to see Rose roll her eyes.

* * *

Rose looked at the huge patch of ice before them. It was amazing to think that something so awful could come out of something so simple.

"Doctor, we need to find any sort of change," Brooke called over her shoulder. The Doctor nodded and they all walked over to the computer. The Doctor leaned over the monitor and began typing.

"You three don't look like cowards," Brooke said after a second of silence, "and yet all you've wanted to do since you got here is leave. You know so much about us." Rose looked over at the brave woman who would die in a matter of hours. Captain Adelaide Brooke: brave and determined. The universe was so unfair.

"Well, you're famous," the Doctor defended easily.

Brooke shook her head. "It's like you know more." The Doctor stared at her for a moment before resuming his typing.

"This moment, this precise moment in Time, it's like, I mean it's only a theory, what do I know? But I think . . . certain moments in Time are fixed. Tiny, precious moments. Everything else is in flux; anything can happen, but those certain moments have to stand.

"This base, on Mars, with you, Adelaide Brooke, this is a vital moment. What happens here must always happen."

"Which is what?" Brooke asked warily.

"I don't know," he replied with a small shake of his head.

"I think something amazing will happen," Jenny interrupted, "because of what's going to happen now."

The Doctor nodded in agreement. "Something that started fifty years ago, am I right?"

Brooke stared at him in shock. "I've never told anyone that." Rose wondered what had happened fifty years ago, presumably something that had inspired her to come to Mars.

"But you told your daughter," the Doctor said quietly and he shrugged, "And what if one day she tells the story to her daughter. The day the earth was stolen and moved across the universe." Rose's eyes widened. The twenty seven planets. At least . . . there was some good things that came out of it. Rose found the Doctor and Brooke was inspired.

"I saw the Daleks," Brooke said with a faraway look in her eyes. "We looked up and the sky had changed. Everyone was running and screaming and my father took hold of me, and I never saw him again. Nor my mother. They were never found."

"I'm sorry," Rose said, remembering the horror of it all: the people running for their lives, being taken from their homes and rounded up, being murdered by the cold unfeeling creatures encased in a metal shell.

"I went to the window," Brooke continued after nodding gratefully in Rose's direction, "and there in the sky. I saw it, Doctor. And it saw me. It stared at me, and looked right into me, and then, it simply went away. And I knew that night, I knew that I would follow it."

"But not for revenge?" the Doctor asked.

"What would have been the point in that?" Brooke asked incredulously, as if the idea had never crossed her mind. Chances are, it probably never did. The three time travelers grinned at her.

"That's what makes you remarkable," the Doctor said, his grin fading to seriousness, "and that's how you created history."

Brooke stared at him in confusion. "What do you mean?"

"Imagine at Adelaide, that you began a journey that takes the human race all the way out to the stars. It begins with you. And then your granddaughter, you inspire her so that in thirty years Susie Fontana Brooke is the pilot of the first light speed ship," the Doctor said with a small smile, and Rose grinned at the thought of something so wonderful coming out of something so horrible.

"And then her children, and her children's children clearing a path to the stars," Jenny added suddenly. "Discovering new worlds, and galaxies, and starting new species."

The Doctor turned to Jenny and grinned before returning his attention to Brooke. "It all starts with you, Adelaide. From fifty years ago, to right here, today. Imagine."

"Who are you?" Brooke asked slowly as she digested this information (supposedly hypothetical information). "Doctor? Why tell me?"

"As consolation."

Suddenly the screen beeped and it showed a picture of Andy before all this. "It's Andy," Brooke said in realization, "he logged on yesterday." Rose watched in horror as they saw a quick recording of Andy complaining of a broken filter. All this . . . because they hadn't thought a little filter was important.

"But that means the infection only arrived today, and the water is cycled through the bio dome for a week," Brooke said with a dawning smile. "The rest of us can't be infected! We can leave!"

As Brooke turned and ran off with the time traveling trio following her Rose couldn't help but shake her head in frustration and confusion. It seemed like the crew of Bowie Base One could get out. It looked like there was hope. But there wasn't. Because it was like reading a book and skipping to the end. Once you know how it ends; it takes away all suspense, all hope. And it was terrible.

"Ed," Brooke called into her com, "we're clean. How're we doing?"

"Shuttle's active, stage one," responded the first mate.

* * *

"You were right, Doctor," Adelaide admitted with a mischievous grin as they ran to the main dome.

"Right about what?" he asked curiously.

"Bikes."

The Doctor laughed. Of course he was right! Seriously, it was a genius idea.

They made it back to the dome and Adelaide gave them back their space suits. "Now I'm going to save my crew, so you save them," she said sternly and the Doctor nodded numbly. "I know what this moment is," she continued, "it's the moment we escape, now get out."

The Doctor, Rose, and Jenny watched sadly as she marched away. Nothing could be done. Because this wasn't the moment they escaped. This was the day they died. But the Doctor was going to leave, because he _refused_ to risk Rose and Jenny needlessly.

They watched for a moment as the monitors showed that Andy was now on top of the corridor, making their way to the main dome. He showed up as a blinking red dot on the screen. One insignificant red dot that would change human history. Only, it wouldn't be changed at all, because this was always supposed to happen.

"Shut up!" Adelaide said suddenly, halting in place, "What's that noise?"

The Doctor looked sadly at them one last time, before they put on their space suits and left. Because they couldn't stay any longer, no matter how much they wanted to.

* * *

A few hours later the now rather miserable trio of time travelers sat at the table in the kitchen, not eating, because they weren't hungry.

"We had to let that happen, didn't we?" asked Jenny out of the blue. They hadn't felt much like talking either.

The Doctor looked at his brave, brilliant daughter, who completely deserved the title 'Time Lord' (or Time Lady, whatever) despite never attending the academy. He nodded despondently.

"They all died?" Jenny asked, even though he knew that she knew the answer.

"Yeah," he managed to croak out.

"Doctor," Rose began hesitantly, "did her children really grow up to do all those things?"

For the first time since they'd gotten back to the TARDIS (who had yet to stop humming comfortingly in his head) he allowed himself a small smile. "Yeah. They did."

Rose nodded and looked at him thoughtfully. "'Someone's sitting in the shade today because someone planted a tree long ago,'" she quoted.

The Doctor smiled a bit more at the saying. It was a nice thought. Someone's actions in the past had the possibility of positively or negatively affecting the future. Because of the brave actions of the crew and Captain of Bowie Base One, man would touch the stars.

**I'm working on a Jenny centric episode/story thing, and I was wondering when you think I should put it. Before the Pandorica Opens? Before the Impossible Astronaut? During the goodbye tour mentioned in Closing Time? What do you think? **

** Also, I'm going to write a short story about Jenny's one hundred and seven years without the Doctor, so it might be a few days before a post the first bit of End of Time. **

**Oh, and I want to write a series of one-shots based on this story, so if you have any ideas I'd love to hear them. ****J**


	23. Interlude- Calm before the storm

**This really long author's note is in response to the wonderful guests who recently reviewed. ****:)**

**JackSpice2311 (review for Starry Nights): Thank you so much for reviewing! They did meet Jackson Lake briefly in Interlude- TARDIS log. I didn't want to write both 'the Next Doctor' and 'Planet of the Dead' so I did a short journal entry about meeting Jackson Lake instead of doing a full episode. ****:)**

**JackSpice2311 (review for Journey's Beginning part one): I'm not going to do ****_exactly_**** that, but I do have something planned somewhere around those lines. My main goal is to make this a story about Jenny, not a story about the Doctor and Rose that is made possible because of Jenny. :)**

**JackSpice2311 (review for Water of Mars part three): That is a great idea. ****J**** Because of the poll I took a while ago, I decided that Ten is staying, so you don't have to worry about that, at least for now. ;)**

**Turtlethewriter (review for Planet of the Dead Part four): Thank you! I'm pretty excited about it too. ****:)**

**Willow626 (review for Wagers and Self Rescuing): They will meet Amy and Rory, because I looove the Ponds and because Jenny is regenerating, even if the Doctor isn't. Someone has to, in my opinion. ****:)**

**ClueBot NG (review for Planet of the Dead part 3): Thanks for your confidence. ****J**** Don't worry, I love Doctor/Rose, so that much you can be sure of. ****:)**

** JackSpice2311 (review for Planet of the Dead part four): That is one of the beauties of keeping Ten: I get to experiment with his reactions to the situations Eleven was thrown into. ****J**** I have read A Life with Rose and I really, really loved it, but before I go asking for advice, I'm going to try it on my own. Well, I say on my own, but I have a couple friends who give me their opinions when I need help. ****:)**

**Enjoy!**

Chapter 22 Interlude- Calm Before the Storm

Jenny jumped at the sound of a phone ringing. She lunged for the console and grabbed Martha's phone before her father could. She smirked at him before answering. "Hello, Donna!" she said chirpily, "How are you?" Jenny paused. "Are you in danger? Aliens? Food poisoning? Daleks? Strange weather patterns? More bees disappearing? Bees reappearing?"

Jenny could hear Donna groan in frustration. "Oh, come on! Do you really think I would call you for _food poisoning_?!" she asked incredulously. "And don't you think that if it had been one of the others you would have already gotten the call?!"

Jenny shrugged, before realizing Donna couldn't see her. "Well, I . . . suppose. I was just saying whatever came into my head first," she defended.

"Well, that's obvious," Donna retorted with a snort. "No, actually, I was sort of wondering if you guys wouldn't mind picking me up a bit later than planned. Some . . . thing's come up," she said apologetically.

"Sure," Jenny said absently, "we'll just stop by a couple hours later."

"No, actually I was thinking a couple of months. Maybe Christmas?" Donna suggested cheerily.

Jenny frowned. "Sure, but why-"

"Great!" Donna interrupted, "See you at Christmas, then! Bye!"

Jenny stared at the phone. "She hung up," she told her dad in disbelief.

The Doctor shrugged. "So, Christmas then?"

Jenny looked at him with wide eyes before remembering 'superior biology'. She wasn't used to being around another Time Lord. "Yep. She didn't say why, though," she remarked, "I wonder what it could be?"

"Oh, knowing Donna it could be anything," her Dad responded as Rose walked into the console room.

"Was that Donna?" she asked, eyeing the phone sitting on the console.

"Yep!" the Doctor responded as he wrapped an arm around Rose's waist and kissed her gently.

Jenny turned back to the console. The kissing was definitely something new. Nothing surprising, sure, but Jenny always thought the day her dad came to his senses when it came to Rose would be the day the world ended. But the world was still intact.

Since Rose had come back Jenny had observed that they were strictly friends. But now, there was something more, and they both seemed happier for it.

"So what did she want?" Rose asked after a few moments.

"Oh, nothing much," the Doctor responded easily, "She just wanted us to pick her up a couple of months later."

Rose raised her eyebrows. "Months? She okay?"

"She wouldn't say," Jenny said with a shrug as she turned around to face them. Jenny wondered if Wilf and Silvia were okay. Donna would have mentioned it if something was wrong, right?

A few hours later Rose and the Doctor sat happily on the couch in the TV room with Rose's head resting on the Doctor's shoulder

Rose looked up at him. "Doctor, what did Carmen mean when she said your song is ending?" she asked hesitantly.

The Doctor looked at her in surprise. "I know it's been a while," she explained hastily, "but I've been thinking about it and . . ." she trailed off.

"I don't know," he admitted with a sigh. "Donna and I met some Ood who told me the same thing, though," he mused.

Rose looked at him in concern. "Do you think it means-" Rose stopped for a moment. "Do you think it means you're going to-?" she didn't say _die _because she didn't want to believe it. She didn't want him to die, or to regenerate.

"I don't know," he responded with a weary shake of his head.

Rose sat up and looked at him. "No matter what, I'll be here. And so will Jenny, and Donna," she promised emphatically. "You can regenerate, but we'll always be here."

The Doctor smiled at her. "I love you," he told her. Rose smiled widely at him. To be honest, she hadn't ever expected for him to say it before Bad Wolf Bay, but after that she realized she didn't need to hear it as much as she thought. She had always known. And she knew how hard it would be for him to admit he loved her and then have to watch as she grew old and withered away. But still, it felt good to hear him say it.

"Quite right too," she teased. She leaned on his shoulder once again. "I love you, Doctor," she mumbled happily before drifting off to sleep.

_Jenny concentrated on the ground ahead of her as the sound of bullets rang in her ears. She was running, running as fast as she could through the underground tunnels. She carried a gun in her hands and she focused on getting where she needed to be. _

_"Jenny!" called a familiar voice, "No!" Jenny halted in her tracks and turned around to see her father looking at her in horror. Jenny smiled. _

_"Dad!" she called. She found him. After all this searching, she found him. _

_"Jenny look out!" he called out urgently. Jenny turned around to see a woman in front of her holding a gun. The woman's expression was one of cold anger. She had black hair and pale skin with haunting cold gray eyes. She squeezed the trigger and Jenny felt a blinding pain in her stomach. _

_"Dad?" she croaked as she fell to the ground. He wasn't moving._

_"I'm trapped," he informed her helplessly, "You have to save me."_

_Jenny shook her head. "Can't," she said through ragged breathing. She looked down at her hands and saw them glow. "No!" she cried in horror. "I can't! I don't want to-"_

"Jenny!" called her father gently, "Jenny wake up." Jenny's eyes flew open and she sat up. It was a dream. She was still in bed. She was safe. It was the same dream she'd had every single night for the last one hundred and eight years, only this time her dad was there too.

"Dad!" she cried in relief and she threw her arms around him and buried her head in his shoulder.

"Are you okay?" he asked her quietly and Jenny nodded as she leaned back to lean against the head board.

"Fine. Just a dream."

Her dad looked at her skeptically, but said nothing.

The Doctor walked out of Jenny's bedroom a few moments later once she had gone back to sleep. He wandered aimlessly through the corridors, his mind at several different places at once.

On one hand he was concerned for Jenny. He had heard her calling out telepathically from the TV room. He heard her fear, and her horror, and her desperation. The fact that she refused to talk about it was also worrying. He knew from experience that when a nightmare was truly nothing to be scared of people had no problem talking about it. It was only when a nightmare was truly terrifying did they occasionally hesitate to talk. He knew because he did the same thing.

With a shake of his head the Doctor decided to stop worrying about it for now. Jenny would talk when she wanted to.

He thought back to his conversation with Rose. Carmen and the Ood's prophecy scared him. He didn't want to die. He didn't want to regenerate, and anyways that was pretty much the same thing. But he was comforted, he admitted to himself, by Rose's promise that she would always be there even if he regenerated.

Which brought him to the third topic on his mind. Rose. He had meant what he'd said, because he did love her, and had for a very long time, but that wasn't the problem. Actually, it was. Because he was still going to have to watch her die, if he didn't die first. No matter how many times he told her, she would still die.

When she had left him he had been devastated. Not telling her hadn't made a difference. The Doctor sighed and walked up to the door of Rose's bedroom and leaned against the wall.

No matter how much it hurt to let himself love her and watch her die, the Doctor realized it would only hurt worse to watch her die without ever telling her.

**Just to make things clear, Donna asked to stay home because of Shaun, who we will see briefly in End of Time. Just wanted to clarify that so you weren't confused. ****:) ****The nightmares Jenny has tie in to an original adventure I've been planning that I decided will take place between 'Amy's Choice' and 'the Hungry Earth'. I've given another hint of it at the end of Planet of the Dead during the last conversation with Carmen. It should be pretty obvious what she's meaning. ;) Next stop the End of Time and Jenny's first regeneration! Again, who would you like to 'play' Jenny's second regeneration? Bonnie Wright, or Rachel Hurd-Wood?  
**

**Please review!**

**Also I just posted a one shot about Jenny's 100 years without her father. :)**


	24. End of Time part one

**Alright, first off: thank you, thank you all the guests who have reviewed! Except for last chapter I tend to forget to respond to guest reviews, but I am very thankful for all your support!**

** For all of you who aren't guest I try to respond as well, but just in case I've forgotten one: thank you, thank you! I love to hear your thoughts and opinions so please keep reviewing! ****:)**

**To the anonymous guest (Calm before the Storm): I totally understand that, but hopefully with Donna, Jenny, Rose, Ten, and Amy it will be crazy enough to make up for the absence of Eleven. ;)**

**JackSpicer2311 (Calm before the storm): She will be, but that scene will be a bit different than in the episode, just because of the outcome. I hate it when shows have a big, sad, emotional goodbye scene and the character saying goodbye doesn't even leave. ;) Oops! That was a typo! My bad! I fixed it, thanks for pointing that out. ****:)**

**Jackspicer2311 (TARDIS log London, 1851): I think I'll do a one shot on it. ****:) ****You're right, it is a good episode, and it will be interesting to do. ****:)**** I'll let you know when I post it. ;)**

**Sean (Calm before the storm): Yes, as I've said several times before, I love the Ponds and they will definitely be companions. ;)**

**Now have a good excuse for being late. My laptop had a virus and I just got it back today, because I had to take it in to get it fixed. :/ **

**Enjoy!**

The Doctor flung open the door and leaned out into the snowing world of the Ood. "Oh, sorry!" he called to the Ood standing a few yards away, "there you are!"

He stepped out onto the followed by Jenny and Rose. Jenny couldn't imagine how such an arrogant man has no trouble walking around in a suit, trench coat, Stetson, sunglasses, and a lei. She rolled her eyes and grinned. That's her dad, alright. "Where were we?" her father asked the Ood.

"We were summoned weren't we?" he asked. "By an Ood in the snow." Jenny felt a bit of the hilarity of the situation slip away as she remembered why they had been summoned. His song was ending.

"Well, the thing is we didn't come straight here," the Doctor admitted with a smile, "We traveled about, had a bit of fun here and there. Getting into trouble, you know me. It was brilliant though, don't you think, Rose?"

Rose grinned and rolled her eyes as she linked her arm through his. "It was a crazy two and a half weeks," she agreed. "We named a planet, named a galaxy Alison, and we _accidentally_ ruined one of Queen Elizabeth the First's parties. And I mean _ruined._"

"Though, she _never_ believed it was an accident!" Jenny added with a laugh.

"What do you want?" the Doctor asked, finally acting a bit serious.

The Ood raised its translator ball. "You should not have delayed," he said in his melodious tone.

"Last time I was here, you said my song is ending soon, and I'm in no hurry for that," he said solemnly.

"Come with me," the Ood commanded. The Doctor started to walk ahead, but Rose pulled him to a halt.

"TARDIS," she reminded him with a smile.

He grinned at her and pulled out the key. He pointed it at the TARDIS and it locked it as humans lock their cars. Jenny laughed.

"See? Like a car," he said proudly, looking at the key. The Ood said nothing. "I locked it like a car," he explained slowly, trying to get a reaction from the Ood.

Rose shook her head in mock sympathy. "Humor's lost on the Ood, Doctor," she said with a smirk. The Doctor nodded and they followed after the Ood who had obviously long since tuned out their rambling.

"So how old are you now, Ood Sigma?" Jenny's father asked their guide as he removed his hat. They all stopped as a beautiful city came into view, carved into the rock and covered in snow.

"That's marvelous," he said, and Jenny could tell he was very impressed. It was beautiful. "Oh come on," he said to Ood Sigma, "It is amazing! You've achieved this in how long?"

"One hundred years," the Ood replied. Jenny's eyes widened. One hundred years? They built a whole civilization of towers and bridges carved into rock in _one hundred years?_

"One hundred years?" Jenny exclaimed in shock.

"Are you serious?" asked Rose in disbelief. Ood Sigma stared at her. "Right," she said with a nod, "Ood. Always serious."

The Doctor looked around grimly. "We've got a problem. This is going way to fast." Jenny began to worry just a little. Normally this would be great, another adventure, another mystery to solve, but with the prophecy hanging over them like a big dark cloud, it just looked like a heap full of bad.

"And not just the city," the Doctor continued, "your ability to call me; reaching back all the way to the twenty first century. Something's accelerating your species way beyond normal.

"The Ood mind is troubled," Sigma agreed.

"Why? What's happened?" Rose asked in concern.

Jenny could feel a whisper of Sigma's fear in her mind and she remembered the Ood are telepathic.

"Every night. Every night, Doctor we have bad dreams," Sigma explained and Jenny felt a twisting feeling in her gut. Since the Ood were telepathic and a bit psychic, bad dreams could mean a dozen different things. And all of them were bad.

* * *

"Returning, returning, it is slowly returning," the Ood Elder muttered as Sigma and the travelers entered the cave, "through the dark and the fire, always returning, always returning. It is returning, and he is returning, and they are returning. Too late, too late, far too late. He has come," he finished, looking at the Doctor.

In the center of the cave sat a circle of Ood sitting around a fire. The circle was surrounded by candles that gave the cave a mystical air to it. At the head of the circle sat the Ood Elder, who was clothed in white, in contrast to the blue robes of the others. "Sit with the Elder of the Ood," Sigma instructed, "so he may show you our dreams."

The Doctor, Rose, and Jenny did as instructed. "You will join," the Ood chanted in unison, "You will join. You will join. You will join." The Ood joined hands and the Doctor motioned for Jenny and Rose to do the same. As his hands connected he gasped. He saw a face, lit by an eerie green light, laughing. A familiar face. It was the Master. But it couldn't be.

He quickly dropped the Ood's hands in shock. Jenny and Rose appeared to be as shaken as him, possibly just from the shock of having a dream projected into their minds. It would be especially odd for Rose, who had little to no telepathic abilities.

"He comes to us every night," the Elder explained, "I think all the people of the universe dream of him now."

"That man is dead," the Doctor protested.

"There is more," the Elder declared. "Join us."

The Doctor once again took hold of the Ood's hands, bracing himself for the barrage of images. "Events are taking place," the Elder said grimly, "So many years ago, yet changing the now. There is a man, so scared."

Immediately the Doctor saw an image of Wilfred Mott sitting anxiously in his home. "That's Donna's granddad!" Rose exclaimed in shock.

"Is he alright?!" the Doctor asked urgently. "What about Donna? Is she safe?"

"You should not have delayed," the Elder admonished him. "The lines of convergence are being drawn across the earth. Even now the king is in his counting house."

The Doctor then saw and image of a dark skinned man in a suit standing proudly with a young woman who closely resembled the man with a Christmas tree in the background. The Doctor shook his head in confusion. "I don't know who they are."

"And there is another," the Elder continued, apparently still ignoring everything he said, "the loneliest of all, lost and forgotten." The Doctor could now see an image of Lucy Saxon sitting alone, crying, in her cell.

"Doctor, who is that?" Rose asked in confusion.

"The Master's wife," he answered numbly. What did this have to do with the Master? He was DEAD!

"We see so much, yet understand so little," said Sigma. "The woman in the cage, who is she?" he asked.

The woman who killed a horrible man and saved the world from a lot of pain. The woman who murdered my friend. A psychopath. Someone who was tricked. "It wasn't her fault," the Doctor said at last. "The Master, he's a Time Lord, like me." He looked around at the bewildered faces of the Ood. Jenny and Rose had already heard bits of this story.

"Here, let me show you," the Doctor said, holding the hand of the Ood next to him. He showed them his memories of 'Harry' and Lucy aboard the Valiant. "The Master took the name of 'Saxon'. He married a woman named Lucy, and he corrupted her." He showed them an image of the Toclofane killing the President of the USA while Lucy watched in glee.

"She stood at his side while he conquered the earth." He then showed them an image of the Toclofane descending through the skies as the Master and Lucy watched eagerly. "I reversed everything he'd done so it never even happened. But Lucy Saxon remembered."

He then showed them the image of Lucy shooting the Master, her face blank. "I held him in my arms. I burnt his body. The Master is _dead_," he insisted.

"But yet, you do not see," the Elder declared. Suddenly he saw a ring lying on the ground. He saw a woman reaching down and picking it up. The Doctor couldn't believe it. "A part of him survived. We have to go," he nearly shouted as he attempted to stand, but the Ood held him down.

"There is something more, Doctor," the Elder warned. "The Master is part of a greater design, because a shadow has fallen over creation. Something vast is stirring in the dark."

The Doctor heard Rose's sharp intake of breath as the Ood's eyes changed to red. "The Ood gained the power to see through Time, because Time is bleeding. Shapes of things once lost are moving through the veil, and the events from years ago threaten to destroy this future, and the present, and the past."

"What do you mean?" the Doctor demanded. What was happening?! Why were they speaking in cryptic riddles?!

"The darkness heralds only one thing: the end of Time itself." Once again the image of a laughing Master flashed through his mind.

The Doctor quickly stood up and sprinted back to the TARDIS, not even checking to make sure Rose and Jenny were behind him.

* * *

Jenny and Rose ran behind the Doctor to the TARDIS and Jenny's mind raced. The Master was coming back. Or, from your point of view, he had come back. Her father had told her a little about what had happened at the end of the universe, and even littler about the Year that Never Happened, but his silence spoke volumes.

They burst through the TARDIS doors and quickly set a course to Earth.

"Doctor, how can he come back?" Rose demanded. "He was dead, wasn't he?"

The Doctor nodded as he looked at the monitor. "I don't know!" he answered quietly. He looked up at them. "We have to be careful," he warned. "The Master is . . . insane. There is a drumbeat in his head that drives him to war," he explained in a rush, "There is no limit to what he would do. Got that?!" Jenny and Rose both nodded.

He ran around the console pressing buttons, Jenny and Rose occasionally aiding him. Every movement Jenny made seemed to be almost programmed and automatic, because as she worked the wheels of her mind turned at a hundred miles an hour.

The facts: the Master is an insane Time Lord who carries a grudge against the Doctor. He died aboard the Valiant. He has returned. Something beyond the Master is occurring. The Doctor's song is ending.

But it can't be. The Doctor can't die. He's Jenny's father. _This_ him is Jenny's father. Maybe the machine that created her made her more human that she'd thought, because something inside her dreaded the thought of her father dying, or even regenerating.

* * *

Jenny, the Doctor, and Rose exited the TARDIS in front of a ruined building. Whatever ruined it happened recently, by the looks of it; there was still police tape surrounding the area.

It didn't take long for the Doctor to pick up the scent of their fellow Time Lord. To Jenny's surprise she could smell the other Time Lord as well, very faintly. Sniffing out the adversary had to rank among the weirdest things she'd ever done.

They traced the Master's scent to a junk yard. The group stood on top of one such mound and surveyed the area. As Jenny looked around all she could see was trash and more dirt. No psychotic Time Lord to be seen.

The Doctor looked around quickly before turning to Rose and Jenny with a slightly frightened look on his face. "Rose you have to get out of here. Go find Donna and Wilfred. They might be in danger," he ordered urgently.

Rose immediately shook her head. "I'm not leaving you," she said stubbornly. Jenny shot a glare at her father before nodding in agreement. Rose wasn't just a companion he could order around, she was a friend who could decide when to leave and when to stay.

Normally, Jenny wouldn't hesitate to volunteer to go see Donna, but her dad was in danger. Right here, right now. Donna wasn't. Hopefully.

"The Master knows all about you. He knows who you are, and how much you mean to me," he pleaded urgently with Rose, "He _will_ try to hurt you. Please."

Rose shifted from one foot to the other, but she didn't seem very convinced. "What about Jenny?" she demanded.

The Doctor sighed. "The Master is insane. On top of that, he was just resurrected, and from the looks of that prison, it didn't go too well," he explained with a shake of his head. "Chances are, he won't be able to tell Jenny from a human." He looked at her imploringly. "But you he knows. He's seen pictures of you in the TARDIS and has read about you in the TARDIS' files. Rose, please," he asked, more sternly this time.

Rose glanced at Jenny for a moment who could only shrug helplessly. She really didn't like it, but her dad mad a lot of sense. "Alright," Rose agreed reluctantly. "Jenny, make sure he stays safe," she ordered seriously. Jenny nodded.

_Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!_

The Doctor looked around in alarm and Jenny suddenly recalled Carmen's words. 'He will knock four times.' She looked around, a bit terrified.

Rose quickly kissed the Doctor before running back to the road. "Be careful!" she called over her shoulder, and Jenny could see the worry written on her face, even from this distance. "You owe me one!" The Doctor nodded, even though she had turned away before focusing on the sound of the banging.

_Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!_

"This way," the Doctor said curtly, leading Jenny to the source of the sound. The two Time Lords ran half way across the junk yard and as they got closer the banging got quicker.

_Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!_

They ran as fast as they could towards the sound through the junk yard until they saw an ordinary looking man standing on a mound of junk. It was the Master. Jenny could feel it, and she could tell just by looking at her father's face. The Master looked at them and laughed before launching himself into the air far higher than possible.

"How does he do that?" Jenny asked in shock as the Master quickly landed farther away from them.

"It must be some glitch of his resurrection," the Doctor speculated as they ran after the Master, "It's giving him powers way beyond normal." Jenny nodded. Great. Crazy psychotic murderous Time Lord, and now he had special powers, and now they were chasing him without having an idea about what he wanted, or the extent of his powers. Fantastic. Rose was going to be so mad at them. Jenny didn't even want to _think_ about what Donna would say about them doing something stupid without her, and Rose for that matter.

They chased after him as fast as they could until suddenly the Master halted and turned around with a slightly crazed look on his face. He laughed for a moment and his face flashed to an image of a skull, just for an instant. Jenny shuddered.

"Please, just let us help!" the Doctor shouted pleadingly at his old friend, "Your burning up your own life force!"

The Master said nothing, only laughed and raced away. The Doctor and Jenny ran after him once again, only to lose sight of him after only a few moments. As they ran they went right passed a group of several elderly people led by . . . Wilfred Mott?

"Aren't you a sight for sore eyes!" Wilfred declared happily, but the Time Lords brushed passed him.

"Out of our way," the Doctor ordered frantically as he climbed up a pile of metal beams. Jenny surveyed the area. Nothing. They'd lost him.

* * *

Once Rose got out of the junk yard she quickly grabbed her phone and dialed Donna's number. As she waited for her friend to pick up, Rose anxiously looked behind her at the junk yard and hoped to catch a glance of the Doctor.

She wasn't very pleased about being sent away _again_, but at least this time she _chose_ to go instead of being tricked. Though, Rose did understand the Doctor's reasoning; she knew that someone had to check on Donna and Wilfred, especially since Donna would worry if they didn't come soon.

"Hello?" Donna answered in a bored voice. Rose sighed in relief. She was okay.

"Donna, this is Rose. The Doctor wanted me to check up on you."

"Check up on me?! I'm fine, on_ Earth_ in my _normal_ Time!" she exclaimed in an accusatory tone. "I was beginning to think you weren't coming back," Donna admitted in a slightly relieved tone.

Rose winced. "Yeah, Donna, sorry about that. We meant to come earlier, but something's happening right now," she said urgently.

"Like what?" Donna demanded curiously.

Rose heard a whooshing sound and turned to see a man fly into the air. It took all of her self-control to keep from dropping the phone and running to find the Doctor.

"Donna," she said urgently, "I need you to come pick me up. There's something we need to do." Rose might not be able to be with the Doctor right now, but she could still help him, by figuring out who the man and the young woman the Ood showed them were.

**Important, please read:**

**Who should 'play' Jenny's next regeneration? Bonnie Wright or Rachel Hurd-Wood? Or, a friend suggested Georgie Henley, and I think that is a great idea. What do you guys think? And finally, if you have an idea for a one shot based on this story I would love to hear it. ****:)**


	25. End of Time part two

**Just to prepare you, I will be switching POVs very rapidly a couple of times during one scene, so I hope I don't confuse you. Thanks for all of your wonderful reviews! Also, when I posted my one shot On My Own, I accidentally pressed a wrong button, being the clumsy person I am, and posted the wrong story. :p It's fixed now. ;)**

The Doctor and Jenny turned around to see Wilfred and several others discussing how they had tracked them down. Which was, of course, not possible, because _the Doctor isn't supposed to be easy to find._ So how did this group of elderly humans find him by calling their neighbors?!

He glanced around at the group and turned to Wilfred. "Have you told them who we are?" he asked quietly, "You promised me," he reminded.

"No, no," Wilfred assured him, "I just told them you were the Doctor, that's all," he explained. Wilfred smiled at them. "And might I say, it is an honor to see you two again," he said saluting the Doctor and Jenny.

Jenny smiled at him, but the Doctor saluted back awkwardly. He _really_ hated salutes, but he didn't want to hurt the old man's feelings. Suddenly a thought came to the Doctor. "Did you see Rose?" he asked curiously, wondering if they had crossed paths, but Wilfred just shrugged.

"You didn't say he was a looker," cooed one of the women, "he's gorgeous!" She handed a camera to a man behind her. "Take a photo!" she ordered. Suddenly the whole situation got just a bit more awkward. Maybe salutes weren't so bad after all.

_Jenny, help! _

Before the woman could come any closer Jenny stepped in front of him. "Sorry," she said apologetically, "No pictures, we are in a bit of a hurry." The woman glared at her and the Doctor hid a triumphant grin.

* * *

Donna parked her car alongside the junk yard as she waited for Rose to get in. It hadn't taken her too long to get here after dropping off Shaun at a café, since she had already been out Christmas shopping. "Thanks Donna," Rose said as she got in with a smile Donna could tell was slightly forced, "Sorry to call you on such short notice, but well, you know how it goes."

And she did. As inconvenient as it might be from time to time, life with the Doctor was full of short notices, so she just shrugged in response. "So, where Jenny and the Doctor?" she asked curiously, "And why did they send you to do _research_? And why did you listen to them?"

Rose laughed. "I'm not. They told me find you and your granddad and stay away from danger, not go looking for it," she explained with a small smirk.

"But you still agreed to leave?!" Donna asked incredulously. She wasn't judging Rose, not all, it was just she couldn't wrap her mind around the idea of Rose voluntarily leaving because of danger.

Suddenly something occurred to Donna. "Wait. Why were you supposed to find me and _Granddad?" _she demanded.

Rose shrugged helplessly. "You were with the Doctor on the planet of the Ood, right?" she asked and Donna nodded but said nothing, letting her explain. "Well, they called us back, and they showed us a sort of . . . psychic vision of, well a lot of thing actually, but we saw Wilfred, and he was terrified," she explained slowly, as if she was still trying to puzzle something together.

Donna nodded and raised her eyebrows without taking her eyes off the road. "And you came after us instead of following the Doctor because . . .?" She understood that the Doctor wanted to make sure everything was fine, but why not just call? Why send Rose? Not only was it confusing Donna, she was also getting impatient the Rose wouldn't just _tell her what was going on!_

Rose sighed. "Someone from the Doctor's past has returned, a Time Lord the Doctor thought was dead." Donna could tell by Rose's voice that this Time Lord was nothing like the Doctor. "We were tracking him- he's called the Master- when the Doctor asked me to go find you.

"He was worried what the Master might do to me just hurt the Doctor," she said softly.

"Ah," Donna replied with a nod. "Hold on, what about Jenny? Couldn't 'the Master' use her against the Doctor too?!"

Rose shook her head and sighed. "The Master knows who I am, but he doesn't know who Jenny is. And apparently he's so insane, he won't figure it out." Donna rolled her eyes. Sure he wouldn't. It was a stretch and both Donna and Rose knew it.

"They'll be alright," Donna reassured her friend, even though she didn't quite believe it herself. _Your song is ending, Doctor._ Rose nodded mutely.

"So, then," Rose said with what looked like an-almost-genuine-smile after a second of silence, "In the vision, we saw a couple of faces we didn't recognize." Donna listened carefully as Rose described the two people, both of whom Donna didn't recognize.

"_How _are we supposed to find two people whose names we don't even know?!" Donna asked incredulously. Two people, and they could be anywhere, in any country on the whole _planet_!

Rose shrugged, but as Donna glanced at her friend she could see a look of determination on her face, a look that said nothing was going to stop her from helping the Doctor in any and every way she could. "I thought we could check the internet, new sites and all that," Rose explained confidently, "They looked fairly important, after all."

"Alright," Donna agreed with a reluctant sigh. She knew it was a long shot, but the Doctor and Jenny were her friends too. "First we just have to stop at the café where I left Shaun."

Rose looked at her curiously. "Who's Shaun?" she asked with interest.

Donna smiled a bit dreamily. "He's my fiancé," she admitted with a grin, "we've started dating about a week or so after you dropped me off at Easter." Donna knew Shaun wasn't rich, or famous, but she loved him anyway. He was wonderful. And _not_ conspiring with a giant red spider-alien-woman-thing.

She and Rose began to pretend they weren't at all worried about the Doctor and Jenny as they began to idly chat about Shaun and weddings and Christmas.

As they were talking Donna noticed Rose was staring intently at one of the shopping bags at her feet. "I know that man," Rose said suddenly, and Donna realized she was looking at the book she had gotten for Granddad.

"So?" she asked, "he wrote a best seller, maybe you've heard of him," Donna suggested, not really thinking much of it.

Rose shook her head. "No . . ." she said uncertainly. She grabbed the book and peered at it closely before gasping in recognition. "Donna! That's him! The man the Ood showed us!" she exclaimed in part relief and part shock.

Donna's eyes widened. "You mean the man you saw in a vision thousands of years in the future just _happens_ to be on the cover of a book I bought?! That is _not _coincidence. What is happening?" she demanded, "All of it." Rose nodded and explained everything, the Master, the Year that Never Happened, and the words and visions of the Ood.

* * *

As they walked into the cheery looking café Rose felt her face spilt into a grin. The café was completely empty except for none other than Wilfred Mott, the Doctor, Jenny and a dark haired man Rose assumed to be Shaun. A small part of her brain wondered how they all ended up at the same place, but the other half was thrilled they were okay, and Wilfred was okay, and Donna's fiancé looked completely human and normal.

Of course, there was another part that was slightly upset that she had missed out on an adventure for nothing, but when the Doctor suddenly turned around, Rose could tell from his expression that it was far from over after all.

"Uh, Donna," Shaun said nervously as he stood up, "Your mother is going to be . . . upset if we don't get back to your place. You know I promised her to help with the Christmas decorations . . ." he trailed off and Rose hid a grin as she realized Shaun was just a tiny bit terrified of Sylvia. Of course, she couldn't really blame him. Apparently the Doctor had a talent for picking companions with crazy mothers.

Donna let out a long suffering sigh. "I know, I know." She looked sternly at the Doctor. "Do _not_ go off without me, got that Spaceman?" The Doctor smiled halfheartedly and Jenny gave a mock salute as Donna and Shaun walked out.

"What happened?" Rose asked as she took her seat next to the Doctor and across from Jenny.

Jenny opened her mouth to explain, but the Doctor cut her off. "He got away," he announced in forced cheer, "flew into the sky, using energy from his resurrection. I wonder what the other . . . side effects of that are? The amount of energy needed to do something like would be huge! Something must have gone wrong," he said in his usual 100 words per minute way, but Rose stopped him with a pointed look. She could tell something was on his mind.

He slumped in his chair. "I'm going to die," he said disbelievingly. "I didn't think too much of it, but . . ."

"He will knock four times," Jenny quoted solemnly.

Rose shook her head. "No!" she said sternly. "Doctor, you are not going to die," she declared with as much confidence as she could muster, "I don't care what the Ood said! I don't care about the drumbeat! You. Are. Not. Dying. Understand?" she said fiercely and the Doctor smiled slightly in response.

"Dad, do you want to die?" Jenny asked suddenly and nodded when the Doctor shook his head in confusion, not knowing where she was going with her question. "Then Rose and I won't let you," she declared with a reassuring smile. Rose knew that even if the Doctor was going to die, they weren't about to let him die sad and depressed.

"But I thought, when I saw you before," Wilfred began, "you said your people could change, like your whole body."

"I can still die," the Doctor said, "If I'm killed before regeneration, then I'm dead." He paused and looked nervously at Jenny could tell that he didn't really want to talk about this around her, but he did continue after a moment of hesitation, "Even then, it feels like dying. Everything I am dies," he explained and Jenny wondered if he was mentally replaying all his regeneration in his head, remembering the pain of dying and being ripped apart, cell by cell and she wondered for a fleeting second if all that pain was worth trying to mess with fate. No. Of course it was.

Her resolve to keep him from dying strengthened. He had only a few regenerations left, and he'd only had this one for a few short years. Jenny, however, was in her first regeneration, and she'd been in this body for one hundred and eight years. He couldn't die just yet; it wasn't fair.

"Some new man goes sauntering away." No! That could _not_ happen! _This_ was her father! He was not going to die!

Rose was about to say something when the Doctor straightened suddenly. "But still, maybe the Ood were wrong," he said with a small shrug, "Or maybe we just don't understand what they're saying."

Wilfred smiled at them as Rose entwined her fingers in the Doctor's. "It's been nice to see you with someone," he said at Jenny, then back at Rose, "You'll never be alone again, will you Doctor?"

The Doctor smiled, a real, genuine smile. "No. Not alone. Not anymore," he said with a fond look at both Rose and Jenny. "Merry Christmas," he said with a smile that now looked slightly forced, and Rose squeezed his hand comfortingly.

* * *

_And so it came to pass that the players took their final places, making ready the events that were to come. _

_The madman sat in his empire of dust and ashes, little knowing the glory he would achieve. _

_While his saviors looked upon the wilderness, the young Lady hoping to change the fate she thought inevitable._

_Faraway the fools and idiots dreamt of a shining new future, a future now doomed to never happen._

_As the Earth rolled onwards into night, the people of that world did sleep and shiver, somehow knowing that the dawn would bring only one thing: the Final Day. _

* * *

After a couple of hours of re tracking the psychopathic Time Lord the Time travelling trio found him in the junkyard, hunched over a turkey leg. Rose and Jenny stood behind a slab of concrete, watching as the Doctor walked towards the Master, who was shooting beams of electricity from his hands. As much as Jenny hated just waiting her and watching her father in pain, Jenny knew he would get more information about the Master's powers and his plans on his own, instead of having him taunting the Doctor's companions, so they watched as the Master sat back on his heels and spoke.

"I had estates. Do you remember my father's land, back home? Pastures of red grass stretching miles across Mount Perdition." He smiled, and for a moment Jenny thought he almost looked normal. "We used to run across those fields all day. Look at us now," he said with a sour look.

"All that eloquence, but how many people have you killed?" the Doctor asked weakly, and Jenny saw Rose wince at how weak he sounded.

"I am _so_ hungry," he snarled.

"Your resurrection went wrong," the Doctor explained, still breathing heavily, "All that energy has ripped your body open, and you're killing yourself."

"That's human Christmas out there!" the Master exclaimed. "They eat so much!" He really was insane. "All that roasted meat and red wine." He continued muttering about food, until suddenly he turned and faced the slab they were hiding behind.


	26. End of Time part three

**Important, please read:**

**Sorry I haven't updated in a while, I know I keep saying that, but I've had MAJOR troubles with my laptop that include viruses and battery problems and charger troubles. From now on I'm going to start updating on Saturdays only so I will have time to work on other projects. ;) **

** But it will give me time to write some one shots about this story. One in particular will be about a very important conversation after the Crucible that covers Jack, Jenny, Rose's big gun is Stolen Earth, and anything else I can think of. :p**

The Doctor froze momentarily. They shouldn't have come; the back-up idea was stupid, and now they were going to get hurt. Or not; it all depended on his reactions.

"Do you hear that, Doctor?" the Master asked, still facing Jenny and Rose's hiding place.

The Doctor paused for a moment before replying. "You know I can't," he said feigning ignorance with a shake of his head. "The drums are in your-"

"No. Not that," the Master snapped. He concentrated on the slab for a few more agonizing seconds before he grinned evilly. "We're not alone, are we Doctor?" he asked, but the Doctor said nothing. "I hear it in my head: another Time Lord," he said, tapping his temple. He looked around as if he didn't already know exactly where Jenny was.

"There is more at work tonight than the three of us," the Doctor warned, trying to distract him.

"Oh yeah?" he asked, obviously not interested.

"I've been told," the Doctor continued, outwardly calm, but inwardly frantic, "that something is returning."

This did catch the Master's interest. His raised his eyebrows and grinned. "You're looking at him," he sneered.

* * *

Jenny looked over at Rose and then quickly glanced down to the teleport Jenny was wearing on her wrist as her father kept the Master distracted. Rose's eyes widened and she shook her head.

Jenny quickly punched in two sets of coordinates and mouthed, _Trust me_. Rose hesitated before shooting her a warning glare and grabbing hold of Jenny's arm. A flash of blue light enveloped them and they disappeared.

They reappeared at the Doctor's side and Jenny grabbed her father's arm before once again disappearing. Before the blue light enveloped them Jenny turned and faced the Master and she caught a glimpse of his startled expression before she was suddenly in front of the TARDIS with Rose still holding her arm and the Doctor on the ground.

"See," Jenny said with a shaky smile, "Told you it would work."

Rose smiled briefly before kneeling next to the Doctor, who Jenny realized had a large scorch mark on his chest from where the Master had electrocuted him.

"They're real," he whispered in shock. "The drums in his head, they're _real." _

Rose shook her head in confusion. "But, I thought you said they were just a side effect of his insanity, something he heard in his head."

"Like a hallucination, or something," Jenny added thoughtfully.

Her father shook his head. "I thought so too. Why are they real?" No one had an answer.

* * *

The next day brought Christmas morning and Donna couldn't help but keep listening for the TARDIS as her family and Shaun exchanged gifts. She could see from his expression that Granddad was doing the same.

Donna saw her granddad disappear into his room for a moment after watching the television with a concerned expression on his face when she heard her phone ring. "Donna, this is Rose," said the voice on the other end of the line, "I know it's Christmas, but we're in front of your house."

"Is everything okay?" Donna asked in concern as she walked to the front window and saw her three friends standing by the TARDIS.

She saw Rose shake her head. "No, we lost him again. We had to teleport out of the junkyard last night, and when we went this morning, he wasn't there," Rose explained.

"Well, can the Doctor still . . . smell him?" Donna asked, still unsure about this ability of the Doctor's before telling her mother and Shaun that she had to leave for a bit; a friend needed some help.

"Yeah," Rose replied with a small laugh, "He's still on Earth, but not around here."

Donna sighed. "Alright, I'm coming," she said hanging up her phone. To her surprise she saw her granddad talking to the Doctor as she walked out the door.

"You're the only one, Wilf," the Doctor was saying, "The only connection I can think of. You're involved; if I can just work out how," he said desperately. "Have you seen anything? I don't know, anything strange? Anything odd?"

"What do you mean he's involved?!" Donna demanded before her granddad could reply, "Involved how?!"

"Dad keeps meeting him over and over again, without meaning to," Jenny explained, "It's like with you and I; he met us twice by accident, only multiplied several times over."

When the Doctor met Jenny a second time the twenty seven planets appeared in the sky, how could anything be worse than that?

"We need to go investigate that man you showed Rose," the Doctor explained. "What was his name again?" he asked with a frown.

"Joshua Naismith," Rose supplied.

"Naismith, right," he said with a nod.

Suddenly Donna's mother poked her head out the door. "Dad, what are you up to?" she asked as she stepped outside. Donna groaned.

"You!" Her mother gasped as she caught sight of the Doctor.

Donna saw Jenny contain a laugh at the Doctor's brief expression of horror. "Merry Christmas," he said politely after he had composed himself.

"Merry Christmas," Donna's mother responded before she turned to Donna. "I thought you said you went to go help out a friend! Don't you realize that he is _dangerous_?!" she exclaimed and Donna rolled her eyes.

"_Mother_, they _are_ friends! And I'm not some kid you can boss around! I'm an _adult_! I can do what I like, thank you very much," Donna stated in indignation.

Sylvia opened her mouth to reply when the Doctor started to back away. "I'm going to go," he said and was followed by Rose and a very amused Jenny. Donna looked at her granddad and they shared a knowing look. "Yeah, me too," Donna said before following her friends as quickly she could.

"Dad!" Sylvia exclaimed in horror, "Oh no you don't! Dad! I'm warning you!" she called.

"Bye, see you later," Wilf called without looking back.

"You can't come with us," the Doctor said as he went to unlock the doors.

Wilf glanced anxiously at his daughter. "You can't leave me her!"

"Fair enough," the Doctor said, relenting and allowing all four of his friends into the TARDIS as Sylvia continued to shout.

* * *

"Naismith!" the Doctor exclaimed, "We can track him down!" He glanced over and saw Wilf standing in shock.

The Doctor looked quizzically at Donna, who was sitting comfortably on the pilot's seat along with Rose as Jenny darted around the console along with him. "You never mentioned this?" he asked, a bit surprised. Donna just shrugged.

"Ah, well, yes. It's bigger on the inside, do you like it?" the Doctor asked Wilf before returning to the screen.

"I thought it would be cleaner," Wilf joked weakly.

"Rose and I try," Jenny said in mock exasperation as she glanced at the screen, "but he just won't clean up after himself!"

"Cleaner?!" the Doctor exclaimed is confusion. Why would it need to be cleaner? She was wonderful as she was, full of character. He felt a disapproving hum in his head. Okay, maybe he was just lazy, but still! You walk into a bigger on the inside police box that can travel through Time and Space and the first thing you notice is that it's _dirty? _"I could take you back home right now!" he threatened Wilf with a grin.

"Listen, Doctor, if this is a Time machine," Wilf began hesitantly, "the man you're chasing, why can't you just pop back to yesterday and catch him?" he asked bewilderedly.

The Doctor glanced at Rose pleadingly for just a moment. His expression screamed _Jenny and_ _I haven't got time for this! Explain to the newbie!_

Rose nodded and glanced at Wilf. "It doesn't work like that," she explained with a shake of her head, "You can't go back on your own time line, or cross your time stream, or mess with established events. We have to stay relative to the Master within the . . ." Suddenly her voice trailed off and the Doctor looked over to see Donna looking sharply at Rose.

"The next words that comes out of your mouth better be in English," Donna said in a half serious tone.

"Right," Rose said with a laugh and the Doctor grinned. Who'd have thought a few years ago that Rose would be able to 'space talk'?

"Understand?" Jenny asked, quickly looking at the still confused looking Wilfred Mott.

"Not a word," he said with a grin.

The Doctor smiled and shook the man's hand. "Welcome aboard."

"Thank you."

* * *

Rose, the Doctor, Wilf, Jenny, and Donna exited the TARDIS to find themselves in . . . a barn. "Lovely," Rose commented sarcastically and the Doctor just grinned cheekily at her.

"We've moved!" Wilf exclaimed in wonder, "We've really moved!" Rose smiled at him. She understood his surprise; even after all this time, the TARDIS never ceased to amaze her.

"Yeah," the Doctor said absently, "You should say here," he told the man.

Rose saw Donna start to speak, whether to agree or protest she had no idea, but Wilf spoke before his granddaughter could. "Not bloody likely," he retorted and Rose and Jenny laughed at the Doctor's expression of annoyance.

"No swearing," he chided as he turned to the TARDIS and hit a button on the key that made it disappear.

"Where'd it go?" Rose asked in shock. This is what she meant by never ceasing to amaze her.

"I put it one second of sync," the Doctor replied quickly as he turned and walked toward a door.

"Like the twenty seven planets?" Donna asked curiously as she ran up to the Doctor's side and he beamed at her.

"Just like that. Well, except on a smaller scale. We don't want the Master to find the TARDIS, that's the last thing we need," the Doctor said as they walked swiftly to the corner of the brick barn.

Rose quickly stepped in front of the Doctor despite the surprised look he shot her and motioned for the others to stop. She glanced around the corner and waited for a few seconds as a pair of guards walked by on the other side of the walk way between the two buildings.

She glanced over at her friends and motioned for them to walk and could tell by her expression that Jenny was also in 'soldier mode'. Rose had just started going to 'soldier mode' when she started to work for Torchwood. She noticed the Doctor was looking at her in concern and she realized this was probably the first time since the Crucible he'd seen her in 'soldier mode'.

Jenny quickly and quietly walked past them and pointed her sonic screwdriver at a small door on the wall. "This way," she whispered. Rose nodded and followed, motioning for the others to do the same.

* * *

"Nice gate," the Doctor observed as he and his friends (and his daughter) peered around the wall to face the female scientist.

"Bit big," Rose observed thoughtfully.

The blonde scientist froze, and the Doctor immediately noticed something odd about her.

_Jenny, what can you see? _ he asked his daughter mentally, testing to see if she had noticed what he had.

_She's wearing a shimmer, _Jenny said in 'duh' sort of voice and the Doctor inwardly grinned.

"Don't call security," he warned the not human woman, "or we'll tell them you are wearing a shimmer. Cause I reckon that anyone wearing a shimmer doesn't want the shimmer to be known, or they wouldn't need a shimmer in the first place, what do you think, Jenny?" he asked his daughter as he walked towards the not human woman.

"I'd say you're right," she agreed.

"I'm sorry, what's a 'shimmer'" asked the not human with an expression of feigned confusion.

The Doctor pulled out his sonic screw driver at the same time as Jenny and pointed it at the imposter. "Shimmer," they said in unison and the image of the human woman faded away to reveal a green alien with horns? thorns? covering her head.

Rose laughed in amusement at his and Jenny's antics and he grinned gleefully at the both of them.

"Oh my lord, she's a cactus!" Wilf exclaimed and Donna snorted in laughter at the 'cactus' expression.

"Miss Adams?" called a cautious male voice through the speaker. "Miss Adams?!"

The Doctor examined the gate with growing frustration. "They've got it working, but what is it?" he asked as her looked at the monitor. "What's working?"

Jenny was scanning the machine behind him with her sonic screwdriver. "It looks to be some kind of . . . device? It's big," she added lamely.

"Device?!" asked Donna, "What kind of an answer is that?"

"The best I've got for now," she said, and the Doctor could hear the exasperation in her voice.

Rose took a step towards him. "Doctor," she said warningly, "Someone's coming." Sure enough the owner of the voice they had heard before was walking towards them with a shocked expression.

"Shimmer," Jenny said absently as she revealed the man's true identity with her sonic screwdriver. The Doctor looked up from his work.

"I need you to tell me quickly," he said looking between the two aliens, "What's going on here? The Master? Harold Saxon? Whatever you call him, what is he doing up there?!" he asked urgently, pointing to the ceiling.

"I checked the readings!" the male 'cactus' exclaimed in bewilderment, "Systems are operational! He's doing good work!"

"Who are you, though?" the Doctor asked, his mind several places at once. "I met someone like you once, and he was brilliant, but he was little . . . and red."

The female 'cactus' shook her head in exasperation. "No, that Zocci," she explained.

"We're not Zocci!" the male declared impatiently, "We're _Vinvocci!_ Completely different!"

The Doctor just nodded. Obviously some sort of history there. Now was not the right time for domestics.

"And the gate is Vinvocci," the female explained, and the Doctor could tell that she too was growing impatient with him. "We're a salvage team," she admitted, "we got a signal when the humans reactivated it, and as soon as it's working, we'll transport it to the ship."

"Yeah, but . . . what does it do?" the Doctor asked. For all their talking, they sure did say much.

_Sounds like you, Dad._

_Does it? Really? Oh, come on, I at least sound intelligent! _

_*unimpressed mental snort* _

_Well . . . I . . . babble, about . . . technical stuff, not just . . . speak when spoken to! _

"Well, it mends," the male answered as if it were obvious. "It's as simple as that. It's a medical device to heal the body, to make people better."

Donna shook her head. "What would the Master want with that? It's not like he's suddenly gone soft or something," she said with a mix of confusion and frustration.

"Yeah, I mean, there has to be something more," Rose agreed with a nod, "How does it work? What powers it?"

The Doctor nodded, not even really hearing their observations; he was busy. Thinking. What powers it? How does it work? There had to be something more than just . . . healing!


	27. End of Time part four

**Where I am it is still Saturday for another ten minutes. So, ha. I'm on time. :p **

"Every single signal says the Master is going to do something colossal!" The Doctor ran over to the machine once again and he, Rose, and Jenny began looking at the readings and scanning it.

"So that thing, it's like a sick bay, right?" the Doctor heard Wilf say to the Vinvocci.

"More or less," the female agreed, sounding so very _underwhelmed _by the whole possible universal crisis.

"Well pardon me for asking, but why's it so big?"

The Doctor looked up in surprise. "Oh, good question. Why's it so big?"

The female laughed. "It doesn't just mend one person at a time," she said, as if they were idiots for thinking so.

"That would be ridiculous," the male agreed with a snort of laughter.

"It mends whole planets," the female explained.

The Doctor stared at her in shock and saw that Rose, Jenny, and Donna were wearing the same expression. "It does what?" he asked numbly.

The female shrugged. "It transmits the medical template across the planet to the entire population."

Rose took a step forward, and the Doctor could see the disbelieving expression on her face. "And, you didn't think that that might just be important?!" she exclaimed incredulously. The pair just shrugged, and the Doctor took off to the room with the Gate, once again not waiting to see if his friends were following.

"Turn the gate off, right now!" he exclaimed as he burst into the room.

"At arms!" ordered a startled guard and suddenly several guns were aimed at him.

"No, no, no," he said quickly holding his arms out defensively.

"Turn off the gate!" came the voice of the female Vinvocci, and the Doctor's head whipped around to see his friends along with the female alien, once again disguised as a human burst into the room.

Jenny ran to his side and glared at the soldiers. "Don't let him near the gate," she warned urgently, "He cleverer than you think," she said, nodding towards the Master, who was tied up.

The Master smiled at her condescendingly. "Oh, come on, even a child like you could see that that was never going to happen." Suddenly a blue burst of energy ripped of the psychopath's bonds and he grinned manically before using his resurrection energy to leap into the gate.

The Doctor stared at him in horror. "Homeless, was I?" the Master taunted, "Destitute and dying? Well look at me now!" he declared, spreading his arms wide.

"Turn it off!" the Doctor shouted, "Shut the whole thing down!" But no one did anything, only to shake their heads in pain. "Get out of there!" he ordered, but the Master only laughed and knocked him, Rose and Jenny over with a bolt of energy. They were the only three in the room that didn't seem to be affected by whatever was happening.

"Doctor," Rose asked in concern, "What's going on? What's happening to them?"

Jenny walked up to Donna. "Donna," she said anxiously, putting a hand on her shoulder, "are you alright?" she inquired and Donna only shook her head in response.

Wilf put a hand to his head in pain. "There's . . . a face," he said nervously, but the Doctor's attention was drawn to the television screen, where an image of the President also in pain was shown. Bad, bad, bad, bad. This was bad. He ran over to the controls on one side of the room, and Jenny and Rose went to the controls on the opposite sides and tried to turn it off, with and without the sonic screwdrivers. Nothing.

"It won't turn off!" he said with frustration.

"That's because I locked it," the Master said with a sneer.

The Doctor glanced around the room and all those inside it and made a quick decision. "Donna, Wilf get in there and get him out," he ordered, motioning to the radiation control chamber. They would be safe in there.

"What, both of us?" Donna asked, managing to sound only slightly incredulous.

"Just get in," he said with an exasperated roll of his eyes.

"Doctor, why can't I see it?" Rose asked as she suddenly looked up from the controls.

Jenny stared at her in surprise. She hadn't even noticed that Rose seemed to be the only human not affected. The Doctor just shook his head. "Not now," he said, brushing off her concerns.

Donna and her grandfather got in one chamber and the Doctor got in the other one and as they did he could see the relief on their faces. "It's gone," Donna said with a relieved sigh.

"That would be the radiation shielding," Jenny informed them, now standing a few yards away from the arch, sending death ray glares towards the Master.

_There's nothing else to do,_ Jenny said defensively in his mind.

_I didn't say anything!_

As Rose looked over the controls and her father instructed Donna and Wilf how to let him out of the radiation chamber Jenny glared at the Master.

_I know you can hear me,_ she thought harshly.

_Of course I can_, came the Master's sneer in her mind, _You are just a child, an echo, a copy. Getting into your mind has been no harder than the rest of this._

_I'm not a child._

_That's what children say,_ he thought gleefully. _And of course you're a child; you're only one hundred years old. Even the stunted apes on this planet can live that long. _

_Eight. I'm one hundred eight, thank you very much. You don't have to do this. You can step out of that arch, and we can just forget about it. No one has to be hurt. You need to make a choice._

_Let's see, shall we look at the facts? I've risen from the dead, repaired a piece of alien technology that will transit my genetic code across the whole planet, and I'm about to use that tech to take over this pathetic world. I've already made my choice, don't you think? An excellent choice too, if I do say so myself._

The whole conversation took place in a split second.

The Doctor burst out of the chamber and stood next to her.

"Doctor, it's getting ready to transmit something," Rose warned from her seat by the controls.

"Only fifty seconds," the Master confirmed with a chuckle.

The Doctor shook his head in confusion. "Sixty seconds till what? Transmit what?"

"His genetic code," Jenny replied promptly, not taking her eyes off the psycho in front of her.

Her father looked at her in surprise. "How'd you know that?" he asked in bewilderment, but Jenny didn't reply.

Out of the corner of her eye Jenny saw Wilfred talking to someone one the phone, but she kept her attention on her father and the Master.

No matter how brave she acted, or how much knowledge of fighting and dying she possessed, Jenny was frightened. In front of her was a crazy, insane, desperate man bent on revenge. To her side was her father, the object of said revenge. And her father's song was ending. This was worse than anything she'd ever faced, and it scared her.

"What is it? Mid control?" the Doctor asked, and Jenny shook her head.

"No, that's too easy, isn't it?" she asked the Master, wondering if she'd have to spell it out for her father.

"Way to easy," the Master confirmed with a grin. "Go on, little child, tell him," he ordered tauntingly.

Jenny took a deep breath. "He's transmitting his genetic code, his template transmitted to the whole human race."

The female Vinvocci gasped and looked at her in horror. "But . . . but . . . that . . . but," she stuttered in shock.

"They're not going to just think like him," Rose said slowly, the reality sinking in.

"They're going to become me!" the psycho finished. "And . . . zero!" A ripple of blue energy was created, spreading though the whole room, moving to cover every inch of the earth.

"He can't do that, can he, Doctor? Can you stop him?" Donna asked anxiously from inside the radiation chamber as all the humans began to shake their head quickly and involuntarily. The Doctor shook his head helplessly. "Mum, Shaun," Jenny's ginger friend whimpered helplessly, obviously thinking of her loved ones who were not currently stuck in a semi safe radiation chamber.

Jenny, the Doctor, Rose, Donna, the Vinvocci female, and Wilf were all forced to watch helplessly as everyone else in the world turned into exact replicas of the Master.

The feeling of so many Masters in Jenny's head was beyond weird. It felt as if someone was playing a horribly composed song on six billion pianos all at once.

"What is it?!" Wilf cried angrily, "What have you done, you monster?"

The Master looked at him with a mock sympathetic smile. "Oh, I'm sorry, are you talking to me?"

Master/ Joshua Naismith stood up. "Or to me?"

All around the room guards and scientist revealed what Jenny already knew. They were the Master, all of the humans, except for Donna and Wilf, who had been saved by the special glass, and Rose who had been saved by who knows what.

"Breaking news," said the Master/ female news anchor, "I'm everyone. And everyone in the world is me!" he exclaimed with a grin.

"I'm president! President of the United States! Look at me! Financial solution . . . deleted," Master/ Obama declared with a triumphant laugh.

"The human race was always your favorite, Doctor," said the original Master as he circled around Jenny, the Doctor, and Rose, who were all standing side by side. "But now, there is no human race. There is only the Master race!"

_And so it came to pass on Christmas day that the human race did cease to exist. But even then the Master had no concept of his role in greater events, for this was _far_ more than humanity's end. This day is the day on which the whole of creation would change forever. This was the day the Time Lords returned. For Gallifrey. _"For Gallifrey!" _For victory! _"For victory!" _For the end of Time itself! _"For the end of Time itself!"

**So, did anyone catch the fact that Rose wasn't affected? Can anyone guess why? I'm sure you can, but don't worry, she is not becoming a Time Lady, or a part Time Lady, or a TARDIS, or a part TARDIS or part Time Lady/ TARDIS. **


	28. End of Time part five

**To keep with my usual theme of using only the POV's of the 'TARDIS crew' I left out the scenes with Rassilon. Just to let you guys know. ;)**

Jenny looked around at her surroundings as best she could while she was bound firmly to a chair. To the left of her was Wilf, Donna and the female Vinvocci were to her right, and her father was in front of her, with all five of them tied up. And Rose had hidden under the controls, probably realizing she would be of special interest to the Master since she was still human, but hadn't been protected by the radiation chamber.

To be honest it didn't seem all that different from the other times she had been tied up and interrogated, before and after she had been reunited with her father. Really, the only things that were different were the additions of an insane Time Lord, the Vinvocci, and Wilfred Mott. Other than that, not too different.

Or so she tried to tell herself. In reality, it was so, so very different. First of all there were exactly three humans left in the universe and all of them were in this room. Secondly, the Doctor's life was at risk, more than ever before. Thirdly, the evil, psycho, ex-best friend of Jenny's father, the Master, was the reason for it all. And finally, the entire Earth was populated by copies of this psycho.

Said evil, psycho, ex-best friend sauntered over to where the Doctor was gagged and strapped to a chair. "Now, then," he whispered into the Doctor's ear, "I've got a planet to run." He straightened and looked toward the television screen where the newscaster/Master was waiting patiently. "Is everybody ready?"

"Six billion, seven hundred twenty nine million, nine hundred-" started the newscaster/ Master, only to be seamlessly interrupted by Naismith/ Master. "Forty nine thousand three hundred thirty eight versions of us-" "Awaiting orders."

The original Master looked immensely pleased at his copies finished each other's sentences and Jenny wished she could think of something to say to wipe that grin off his face.

Thankfully, she didn't have to. "You know, I never really believed that talking to yourself was a sign of insanity, but guess I was wrong," Donna said with a small shrug.

The Master rolled his eyes in irritation before turning back to the screen, and Jenny couldn't help but laugh.

"This is Washington," said Obama/ Master as he flickered onto the screen with a grin. "As the President of the United States, I can transfer all the United Nations protocols to you immediately, putting you in charge of all the earth's defenses," he announced cheerfully. Jenny began to feel mildly sick inside, but outwardly remained as calm as possible.

The image changed to a UNIT general/ Master. "This is UNIT HQ, Geneva reporting. All under your command, sir."

Once again the image on the screen changed. "And this is the central military commission here in Beijing, sir, with over two point five million soldiers, sir."

The original Master shot Jenny and the others a triumphant look. Jenny glared at him. What was he planning on doing? If his plan was revenge on the Doctor, why not just kill them? He'd already destroyed the human race. Everyone, including Sarah Jane, Martha, Mickey, Jack, and all of the Doctor's other human friends. Right now, nothing would hurt the Doctor the more than being forced to watch as she, Donna, and Wilf were killed. And Rose, when he realized she was still human.

"I've got enough soldiers and weapons to turn this planet into a warship," the Master said darkly. "Nothing to say? Doctor? What's that? Pardon? Sorry?" the Master asked with false concern as he walked over to the Doctor. He turned to the others.

"You let him go you swine!" Wilf shouted.

"Your dad's still kicking up a fuss," the Master observed and Jenny saw the mild amusement on his face.

"Yeah, well, I'd be proud if I was!" Wilf declared and Jenny gratefully shot a quick smile in the old man's direction. She would be proud too, to have this man as her grandfather. Except for the fact that she was older than him, but still.

The Master glared at Wilf and held a finger to his lips. "Hush," he ordered. "Now listen to your Master."

Out of the corner of her eye, Jenny saw one of the guards/ Master's gaze flicker briefly to where Rose was hiding.

She didn't dare tell her father, who was facing the other way and couldn't see the guard, what was happening, just in case the Master heard. She knew that while her mental shields were strong enough to withstand a telepathic attack from most species, she wasn't going to risk it on a species as strong as the Time Lords, so she continued to remain mentally silent.

The original Master turned around to look curiously at the guard/ Master. "What is it?" he demanded as he marched purposefully towards the hiding spot. Once he got closer he halted and a grin spread across his face. "Miss Tyler!" he exclaimed, clapping his hands together gleefully. "So good of you to show up! I have _so _looked forward to our meeting. The woman who took in the Time Vortex." He shook his head. "The Doctor likes playing with Earth girls, doesn't he?" he spat in disgust.

"The Doctor had nothing to do with it. I did it myself. My choice," Rose shot back.

The Master eyed her curiously, before turning to one of the guard/ Masters. "Tie her up," he ordered curtly. The guard/ Master nodded and dragged a surprisingly quiet Rose out of her hiding spot and tied her up next to Wilf.

Rose struggled a only a little bit as the guards/ Masters tied her up. She only struggled enough to look defiant, but she knew that if she wanted to, she could easily escape. The same probably went for Jenny. After all, it was just rope. But even if they did get out of the rope, what would it matter? The entire population were copies of an evil Time Lord, where would they run? So Rose allowed them to tie her up next to Wilf, Jenny, Donna, and the Vinvocci female. She smiled weakly at them.

"How are you still human?" the Master growled. "It should have worked. Why didn't it? What did you do?!" he shouted angrily at her, and Rose had to force herself not to flinch.

"Just like you said, I took in the Vortex, the Heart of the TARDIS. I turned the Daleks into dust, made Jack immortal, then the Doctor took it out of me," Rose said with a shrug.

The Master shook his head and started to pace, gesturing madly with his hands. "No, no, no. I _know_ about all that. But what did _you_ do. As Bad Wolf? Besides creating the freak, I mean. You had the _entire Vortex_ running through your head. All of Time. You were a _god!_ So powerful. What did you do with all that power?" he asked, staring intently at her.

Rose said nothing, because she had no idea. As far as she knew, no one knew the full extent of what she did, or could have done with the Vortex running through her brain.

Sensing this, the Master turned to the Doctor and Rose saw that behind his gag, he was grinning madly. He winked.

The Master strode over to him and removed the gag.

"That's better, hello. But really, did you think I would leave my Rose without a defense mechanism?" the Doctor asked, sounding slightly amused.

"Where's your TARDIS?" the Master demanded quietly. Rose scoffed. As if the Doctor would just tell him.

The Doctor looked at him sadly. "You could be wonderful."

"Where is it?"

"You're a genius. You're stone cold brilliant, you are; you really are. But you could be so much more. You could be beautiful, with a mind like that. We could travel the stars, all of us. It would be my honor. 'Cause you don't _need_ to own the universe, just see it. To have the privilege of seeing the whole of Time and Space. "

Rose watched sadly, as the Doctor tried to bargain with his best friend. No matter how bad it got, the Doctor was willing to see what his friend could do, not what he'd done and give him a second chance, and Rose thought she might have just fallen a bit more in love with the Doctor, if it were possible.

"Would it stop?" the Master asked quietly. "The noise in my head?"

"I can help," the Doctor offered in a similarly quiet voice.

"I don't know what I'd be without that noise."

"I wonder what I'd be, without you."

The Master laughed a bit at that. "Yeah."

"What does he mean?" asked Wilf in confusion, "What noise?"

The Master turned around. "It began on Gallifrey," he started somberly and quietly as he sat down, his voice lacking its usual insanity. "As children. Not that you'd call it child hood. More a life of . . . duty. Eight years old I was taken for initiation, to stare into the Untempered Schism."

"And that is . . . what exactly?" Donna asked, looking just as lost as her grandfather and the Vinvocci female. Rose had never heard about the Doctor's childhood in detail, not wanting to pry, but she knew that it had been harsh and strict, and the Doctor had once briefly mentioned initiation when she'd asked if he'd ever seen the Vortex.

"It's a gap," the Doctor explained, "In the fabric of reality. You can see into the Time Vortex itself. And it hurts," he said and Rose wondered if he could still remember the pain.

"I looked into Time, old man, and I heard it. Calling to me. The drums. The never ending drums. Listen to it. Just listen," the Master said, closing his eyes in concentration.

"Let's find it," the Doctor offered hopefully, "The three of us. You, me, and Jenny."

The Master stood up from his chair. "Oh, oh, but wait. Oh yes, oh that's good," he said with a grin.

"What?" the Doctor asked suspiciously. "What is?!"

"The noise, it exists within my head. And now within six billion heads! Everyone on Earth can hear it!" he exclaimed, and Rose felt a bit sorry for the madman. No one wanted to be alone.

"But it still just you," Rose said sadly, "Just six billion copies of you."

The Master flickered briefly to reveal a blue skull with bug eyes and he sank to the ground in pain and the Doctor looked sadly at his old friend. "The gate wasn't enough; you're still dying."

"Let us help you," Jenny pleaded.

"This body was born from death; all it can do is die," the Master rasped before standing up, breathing heavily. "What did you say to me, back in the waste land? You said 'something is returning'."

"I was told that something was returning," he confirmed, "'The end of Time'. I was shown a prophesy. That's why we need your help," the Doctor said, and Rose could almost hear him silently urging his friend.

"But what if I'm part of it!" the Master cried. "Don't you see?! The drumbeat is calling from _so_ far away. From the end of Time itself! And now it's been amplified six billion times! Triangulate all those signals, I could find its source! Oh, Doctor. _That's _what your prophesy was. Me!" He exclaimed, flinging his arms wide triumphantly while the Doctor watched remorsefully, and Rose thought he might finally be seeing that there was no hope for his old friend.

The Master slapped the Doctor across the face. Rose flinched and she heard Donna gasp. Out of the corner of her eye saw Jenny stiffen. "Where's the TARDIS," the Master growled menacingly. "Or should I ask them?" he said, motioning towards Rose and the others.

"Just stop," the Doctor urged, his voice bordering on desperation. "Just _think_."

"Kill his daughter," the Master ordered, and one of the masked guards/ Masters walked up to Jenny and pointed his gun at her. Rose felt her mind race, trying to figure out what to do, trying to find some way to get out of this without revealing the location of the TARDIS, and without Jenny being murdered. "I need that technology," the Master said, not taking his eyes off the Doctor. "Tell me where it is or your daughter will be dead."

"Dad, don't tell him," Jenny insisted, her face showing only the faintest glimmer of fear.

"I WILL KILL HER!" the Master shouted furiously and Rose forced herself to remain calm. Not that she was the one being threatened, but in some ways this was almost worse.

Rose glanced anxiously at the Doctor, and to her surprise he looked very calm. "You know," he began, "the amazing thing about is that after all this time, you're still bone dead stupid." Rose raised an eyebrow. What did the Doctor know that they had missed?

The Master rolled his eyes impatiently. "Take aim."

"Six billion pairs of eyes, and you still can't see the obvious, can you?" the Doctor asked in his slightly arrogant, 'above it all' manner.

"Like what?" the Master asked in exasperation.

"That guard," he said smugly, "is one inch too tall."

The Master whipped around to face the guard, who at the same time rammed the psycho's head with the butt of the gun. Rose slumped in her seat in relief as the guard pulled off his helmet to reveal the male Vinvocci. "I hit him," he moaned. "I've never hit anyone in my life!"

"Come on," the female said from her tied up position, "get us out of here!"

"God bless the cactuses!" Wilf exclaimed in relief.

"That's 'cacti'," the Doctor corrected and Rose, Donna, and Jenny all laughed, so very happy to have made it alive this far.

**Important: ****This week I am going to finish up End of Time, because on NaNoWriMo starts soon, so my updates will become much less frequent until the end of November. ;) I'm so sorry, I know I'm bad enough about updating as it is, but hopefully I'll have time to go through and possibly do some editing, and make a few minor changes. **

**Now, this bit isn't ****_really_**** important, but I wanted to add it anyways: I really wanted to take away the drums somehow, maybe with Bad Wolf, or something, but I couldn't because of future plans for this story. I really, really wanted to help the poor guy; to be honest the Master is one of my favorite characters, and it was so sad not being able to take away the drums! :(**


End file.
